Numbers were held high during Saturday’s inaugural Quarter Auction held by the Optimist Club of Santa Paula, where 25 cents went a long way in winning fun prizes.

Quarter Auction Fundraiser: Optimists’ show 25 cents can go a long way!

February 03, 2017
Santa Paula News

Twenty-five cents went a long way and bought plenty of fun at Saturday’s Optimist Club of Santa Paula’s inaugural Quarter Auction.

Held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, the evening included a Garden Market dinner for the crowd eager to try to divvy up their rolls of quarters and try their luck on random draws for prizes.

Part raffle, part auction and all fun, the Quarter Auction works somewhat like bingo but involves a numbered paddle, lots of quarters, a numbered ball and prize drawings.

It also involves integrity, played on the honor system as all numbers are used for the drawing of prizes; players buy-in using quarters — items ranged from 25 cents to 75 cents — and, if a number is called that is not a bidder’s they opt out to allow another draw.

There were plenty of rolls of quarters being purchased to play and a popular stop before the main event started was the Silent Auction.

Quarter Auction Committee Chair Chanda Stockton admitted to a certain wariness of how the event would go.

An Optimist Club member for three years, Stockton said, “I’m certainly hoping for the best…we certainly have plenty of prizes,” more than 100 in all.

Members of the Santa Paula High School’s Octagon Club sponsored by the Optimists helped out at the event including President Sergio Hernandez, Gabriel Hernandez, Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Llamas and Sara Galindo, among others. The Octagon Club was among the beneficiaries of the evening as were the Isbell Middle School and Glen City Elementary School, with  youth organizations sponsored by Optimist.

Longtime Santa Paula Optimist Ron Merson said the club “Wanted to do something new in Santa Paula,” and noting the high energy of those filling seats, “I think we’re on to something!” 

Club President Tim Hicks welcomed the crowd and noted the presence of Optimist District Lt. Governor Cathy Hicks, Santa Paula Mayor Jenny Crosswhite, Vice Mayor Ginger Gherardi and Councilman Martin Hernandez and others that attended, including a strong representation of Optimists from Newhall, Santa Clarita and Valencia clubs. 

Peggy Kelly announced the numbers drawn by Sergio Hernandez and later Merson as the long line of prizes started to dwindle. The crowd cheered and applauded winners and groaned in mock pain when they missed prizes they have put up quarters for.

There were many gift baskets including fine liquors and wines, garden decorations, restaurant gift cards, Super Bowl packages, holiday knickknacks, beauty services, tickets to popular attractions, health and spa products, succulent and flower arrangements, DVDs, special beer lovers prizes, automotive services, jewelry, massages and many, many more unique prizes. 

“I was ecstatic with the outcome,” Stockton said later. “It was more than we expected and we did make money for the youth of Santa Paula.”

Considering it was the first time that the Optimist Club had tried such an event, “It went very well, and we had a lot of support,” from businesses and individuals. 

Stockton noted that the Quarter Auction was far from their fundraising norm of offering their services — such as handling parking for the Rotary Club Pumpkin Patch — for other nonprofits that they share in the profit of.

“We’re used to being on the front line, helping and it’s nice that other organizations give back to us. Our goal is to make this an annual event,” and Stockton said Optimists “Need a few months to take some bugs out…we’ll work it out.”

Stockton admitted her pride in her husband Patrick who obtained “about 80 percent of the prize donations. I told him what we needed and he dug right in, handled the donation requests and gift cards.

We want to definitely thank all our supporters, everyone who was so generous in supporting the Optimist Club, including those that volunteered at the event.”

And, added Stockton, once the money is counted “We look forward spending all of it on the youth of Santa Paula, they are our future.”

Club President Hicks noted, “Everybody said they were pleased with it and they had a good time,” at what he also hopes is the first of annual Quarter Auctions. 

“We did well and a lot of the proceeds will probably end up being used for our Octagon Club and the youth clubs at the schools. We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers and the individuals and merchants that donated — and we want to thank everybody,” for their support of youth.





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