The 74th annual WHOP Rotary Radio Auction continues on Tuesday, and Auction Chair Kelly Gates recently appeared on WHOP to invite the community to participate in the auction and shared how the funds will benefit the local students.
Since its inception in 1951, Gates says they have raised around $12 million through their annual auction. The funds they raise will go toward their Rotary Scholars Program which provides scholarships for students pursuing higher education. Gates says they typically have 125 Rotary Scholars in each graduating class from local high schools.
Along with the Scholars Program, Gates shared that funds from the auction will also go toward their Rotary Impact program which supports students through higher education for teaching, agriculture and healthcare career paths.
Gates invites the community to come to the Hopkinsville War Memorial Building to bid in person, but shared that their big board items can be bid for online at bolingerrealestate.com. Their big board items include a garage door, a water heater, tickets to a University of Kentucky football game and much more.
The auction continues today from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hopkinsville War Memorial Building and folks can also listen live at 98.7 Lite FM. The diner is open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day this week.
On Monday night, the first night of the auction, Rotary awarded a $10,000 grant to the visual arts programs at the four local high schools–Christian County High, Hopkinsville High, University Heights Academy and Heritage Christian Academy.
The fundraising is in full swing, with the auction selling 91 items at $6,752, the diner and sweet shop bringing in $2,800 and the Hour and Goat Clubs raising $117,180, putting the total on night one of the auction at $126,732.06.