Staff, board, and volunteers are hard at work preparing for the upcoming  “Bids for Kids” dinner and auction on Saturday, March 10, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Roller Barn, to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Harbor.

The evening features live and silent auction items, a “Diamonds in a Glass” raffle of a Hearts on Fire ring donated by Gloria Carothers of the Jewelry Gallery and a sit down dinner.

The club kids have been working, with the guidance of Nora O’Connell-Balda, building and decorating bird houses that will be auctioned off as table centerpieces. They are also rehearsing for their performance during dinner and enjoy volunteering during the event.

According to Lexi Jones, club member, everyone is looking forward to the auction.

“It’s nice to meet the people who support the club. We’ve also been really busy practicing our entertainment for that night. It’s going to be really fun,” she said in a release.

This year’s auction theme is “home and garden.” Themed rooms are being designed to be auctioned.  The rooms include garden areas, custom furniture, a fire pit, garage organizer room, a custom built arbor, exercise equipment and more.

Live and silent items are varied and range from gift certificates to local restaurants and stores to gift baskets and art work, to activities and events for groups ranging from 2 people to 100 people.

Tickets are available by calling Peg Fenstermaker, club director, at 240-9273, or by stopping by the Roller Barn between noon and 6 p.m.

On Friday, March 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. there is a free event preview where community members can come see all the live and silent items while enjoying free refreshments.

Fenstermaker said the success of this event is paramount to the continued success of the club, which is busier than ever. Membership is currently over 200, with an average of 70 members attending every day, up considerably from last year.

She credited the increased membership in large part to the van the Boys & Girls Club received from the Island Transit surplus van program.  Staff is currently making three trips every afternoon to local elementary schools to bring youth back to the club for activities, and a morning program has been added.

“We are counting on the community to once again come forward and attend our auction to help ensure our programs can continue to flourish and make a difference to the youth of our community,” said Duncan Chalfant, a member of the advisory board who has been hard at work preparing for the auction.