The Cranbrook Banker’s Association held it’s annual Food Bank Auction on Dec. 5.
The fundraiser lunch included a live and silent auction held at at the Heritage Inn.
It is the biggest fundraiser for the food bank, and this year money also went to the Salvation Army.
“We managed to raise $12,000 through items that were donated by Cranbrook businesses and banks,” said Maureen Foxworthy, from RBC Cranbrook branch.
The $12,000 was split up, with $6,000 going to the Salvation Army and $6,000 going to the food bank.
“I don’t know any other community where all of us bank managers get together and organize something like this,” Foxworthy said.
This was their 20th year and about 120 people came out to the luncheon.
“We had a live auction with 10 items and then we had about 110 silent auction items,” she said, “We buy a lot of things – we’ll go out and buy a bunch of stuff and make baskets.”
Other banks will go out and buy coffee makers and other items.
They also raise $5 a person for the lunch itself, plus there is a day spa draw and a 50/50 draw.
“All we pay out of that is whatever the Heritage charges up for the lunch and they gave us a good deal,” she said.
The whole event takes place over an hour and fifteen minutes.
“They get their buffet lunch, run around and then we have a live auction going on while they run around and write their names on what they’d like to buy,” she said.
She said the fundraiser went great, though they didn’t exceed last year’s amount goal of $13,000, but expects next year’s fundraiser to go even better.