BY EVAN COLLINS
Fabulous trips and luxury prizes will be up for grabs and can all be yours — if you’re the highest bidder when the hammer falls.
The St. Joseph’s Center Auxiliary will host the Dennis Crafferty Memorial “Havana Nights” Auction on Friday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Fiorelli Catering, 1501 Main St., Peckville. This year’s event will include multiple silent auctions as well as a live auction, whose top prizes will include tickets with transportation to see “Hamilton” on Broadway, a trip to Florida for a NASCAR race and many others.
“It’s a very high-energy and lively environment. People get excited when bidding and even start bidding wars,” Dr. Marla Farrell, auction co-chairwoman, said with a laugh.
The bidding may get hectic but is assured to be friendly. All proceeds from the auctioned items will be donated to St. Joseph’s Center. Additionally, those attending can buy “wishes,” such as arts and crafts items and electronics, that will be donated to residents of the center.
“I think our community rallies around St. Joseph’s,” said Denise Christman, auction co-chairwoman. “The local support in this area is amazing.”
The auction started in 2000 with volunteer Dennis Crafferty, who had the idea to add a live auction to the yearly St. Joseph’s Festival. That first year, the auction had to move from the festival to a board room in St. Joseph’s Center thanks to pouring rain. Crafferty, who acted as the auctioneer, died the next day. Since then, the auction has been held every year in his honor.
The theme for this year’s auction is “Havana Nights,” and guests are encouraged, but not required, to dress up for the occasion, such as with Guaybera-style shirts for men and 1950s high fashion for women.
Tickets cost $125 and can be purchased by calling 570-963-1290 by Friday, Oct. 18. A surf-and-turf dinner and open bar are included with admission.
“Fiorelli’s is a beautiful venue, and our decorators are really going to transform the space,” Farrell said.
Contact the writer: ecollins@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127
If you go
- What: Dennis Crafferty Memorial “Havana Nights” Auction
- When: Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
- Where: Fiorelli Catering, 1501 Main St., Peckville
- Details: Tickets cost $125 and include dinner and open bar. Call 570-963-1290 to register by Friday, Oct. 18.
