Radford News Journal “Bidding for a good time” - by Heather Bell
caption: Some of the approximately 190 people who attended the Radford Chamber fo Commerce Annual Jungle Safari Auction look over the items up for silent auction at the event, held Saturday at Spinnaker's / Best Western.
caption 2 : King Kong, also known as Gary Graham, entertained the crowd at the Radford Chamber of Commerce's Annual Jungle Safari Auction, held Saturday at Spinnaker's / Best Western.
RADFORD - The scents, sights, and sounds of an African Safari and feast filled the air of Spinnaker's Restaurant and the Best Western Inn Saturday for the Radford Chamber of Commerce's Annual Auction.
The live and silent auction portions of the evening were marked by a visit from King Kong, and netted between $12,000 and $14,000 for the Chamber, exceeding the Chamber's goal of making $10,000 from the event. Chamber Executive Director Sandra Stanwitz said Monday the organization is pleased with the results.
"Our total was a bit down from last year, but considering the economy is down, we're happy with what we've raised," she said. "And all in all, it was the smoothest and most successful Chamber even I've ever hosted."
Stanwitz said she owes the smooth-running nature of the auction to her volunteers and to brothers Ed and Robert Adlam, who took care of the food and facility end of the deal.
Robert Adlam, who is Spinnaker's executive chef, prepared an exotic safari spread, complete with a roasted suckling pig, antelope sausage, frog's legs, hand carved wild boar, Tanzanian pork on sugar cane and other African safari fare.
"I just cannot give enough thanks to Spinnaker's and what they did for us," she said. "It was amazing, and I never would have thought of all that on my own."
Stanwitz said some of the over 190 guests were a bit reluctant to go out on a culinary limb, but there were enough old favorites, including shrimp and crab legs, to give people what they wanted, no matter what their tastes.
"Some people did shy away form some of the more exotic thins, but there was something for everyone, that's for sure," she said.
On the auction front, one of the top fund raisers was a copier worth about $3,000, which brought in $1,000 for the Chamber. Two round trip airfare tickets, some pieces of jewelry and other out-of-town trips were other big-ticket items for the auction. A total of approximately $32,000 in goods and services was donated to the auction by local businesses.
Now that the Chamber staff and board has the auction behind them, they will turn their attention to their upcoming events, including the annual Radford City School Employee Appreciation Luncheon, and a return of last year's successful Bridge Party, which will become an Under the Bridge Party for this year, due to the bridge construction.
In preparation for the Under the Bridge Party, set for Saturday, August 24 in Bisset Park, the Chamber is holding a tee shirt design contest.
"We're looking for artists, art students and members of the community who might want to design this year's tee shirt," she said.
"The winner's design will be used for all of the tee shirts for this year's party."
Entries should reflect the Under the Bridge theme and should be turned in to the Chamber of Commerce by Monday, June 2 at 5 p.m.
Designs can be in color and must be turned in on 8-by-11-inch white paper.
The winning design will become the property of the Chamber of Commerce and the winning entrant will receive a $25 prize and two free tee shirts.
