Chamber Gears Up For The Big Event

The holidays are upon us and Ulysses Chamber of Commerce is set to kick it off once again with "A Holiday Affair - the Big Event" this coming Saturday.

Celebrating its 23rd year, the silent auction has found a home at the Historic Adobe Museum.

"To my knowledge, it's been at the museum all but one year since it started," said Grant County Chamber of Commerce Director Marieta Hauser. "One year they put it on with a fundraiser where they were selling tickets to a pickup. They had it at the civic center because they were expecting more people."

The move to the museum has been a good fit.

"The museum is just beautiful at Christmas time," Hauser said. "Ginger (Anthony) and her crew just go all out to decorate it and make it beautiful for the holidays. I think maybe we are one of the first events that happen during the holidays. They did decorate the civic center the year the auction was there, but it wasn’t quite the same atmosphere. It wasn’t as cozy or as intimate as it is at the museum."

Hauser said a committee has been hard at work getting everything finalized before the auction on Saturday.

"We have a committee that has been working on this event," Hauser said. "We sent letters out to our businesses seeking donations and they have been very generous coming in. The committee, right now, is busy making those contacts - following up bringing things in donations."

Those making a donation to the event will be provided a ticket to get in, according to Hauser, which will include their meal, beverage, and more.

"We have Alejandros who is going to cater for us," Hauser said. "Betty and her crew always do a fabulous job. Not only is it delicious, but it’s beautiful to look at. I love the way she lays her tables out. We will have Christmas music playing in the background."

Set up for the event will begin tomorrow.

"We will go in and set up on Friday," Hauser said. "We have tables that we have to haul in. The JAG-K students are going to help set up tables this year. I'm thrilled with that program (JAG-K). They are doing some really good things in the community."

Hauser recalled an interaction she had with one of the students involved in the JAG-K program.

"One of the students at the career day was talking about community involvement and how that has really opened his eyes as to what it means to the community to be involved," she said. "I thought that was pretty cool."

According to Hauser the students in the JAG-K program will help set up chairs and tables Friday morning.

"Then the committee is going to convene in our office - which by that time will have every available space stacked with something that has been donated for the auction," Hauser said. "It gets a little crazy at our office. We will haul everything to the museum and get it set out."

Hauser commended chamber secretary Robin Leonard on her work for the event.

"Robin is a saint," Hauser said. "She has worked her tail off getting some things ready. She does a good job of keeping all of that stuff straight and it gets crazy at the end. We have a lot of last minute donations. We are never going to turn down a last minute donation."

Hauser spoke about how the night will go.

"That evening, people come in - the music is going, there is food..." she said. "It’s as much about the silent auction as it is visiting with friends and people you don’t always see. Some people love to get dressed up for the holidays and they will wear something that makes them feel good and fancy that puts them in the holiday mood. We have people who have come before straight from the fields. Some who are here for pheasant season.

"So, it doesn’t matter how people are dressed as long as they are dressed," Hauser says with a laugh.

It is a time to "come together".

"Everybody really just enjoys being together," Hauser said. "It is such a fun evening. You have the opportunity to just hang out with community members that maybe you see a lot or maybe you don’t. Maybe you’ll meet a few new friends along the way It’s just a nice social event."

Hauser said it's an opportunity for people to come and enjoy good food, maybe take home some goodies and get their Christmas shopping started.

"We have the silent auction then we will also have the live auction at the end," she said. "We close the silent auction down by 8:30 p.m.,  and herd everybody to the back room. Bob Dale is going to do a game show type thing - he always comes up with something fun."

According to Hauser there will be several things in the silent auction and a few in the live auction.

"We have a used pickup that Pioneer Communications donated," Hauser said. "It's a 2014 GMC double cab 4x4. It is one they have taken out of service and it has been well maintained."

If people want to see the pickup ahead of time, they can do so.

"We want them to see what they would be getting," Hauser said. "It’s been well kept up. Pioneer services their vehicles really well."

The pickup is one of a handful of items in the live auction - they typically have only three or four each year in that part of the event.

Other big items for the live include a half a hog with processing. The winner will be able to choose how they want the cuts made as it has not yet gone to slaughter. Another item is a gun that was donated. 

As of last week, the committee had more than 50 items that had been donated for the silent auction; however, according to Hauser, it's still early.

"It will probably end up in the 120 to 125 range," she said. "It varies every year, but we have a lot of items. We probably won't know how many until that night because of late donations."

Some of the silent auction items include: Carhardt jackets, a Snoopy basket, a golf basket, Christmas decor, a laser range finder, movie packets, Yeti coolers, a $100 beef bundle, smoked brisket, Engleman's cheesecake, a Big Ninja Foodie Pro Pressure Cooker, toy tractors, a Chief's gift basket, a 12-gallon wet and dry vacuum, craftsman tools, a Bad Boy Leaf blower, a heated stadium seat, embroidered items, lots of other gift baskets, and much more. Silent auction items have a "starting bid".

"We keep the starting bids low," said Hauser.

Funds raised from the event go into the Chamber's general fund.

"It helps us to keep our dues at a reasonable leverl for our members and it helps us with our operating costs," Hauser said.

It takes several to pull everything together for the event.

"Our ambassadors help, but not all committee members are ambassadors," Hauser said. "We have several people who aren’t on my committee, but who help us register people, take tickets, sell tickets. We have a crew that man the beer and wine station, a crew that sells 50/50 raffle tickets."

Hauser says they had close to 100 people in attendance last year.

"By the time we get all the tables out and 100 people in the museum at one time - that's a good amount. We usually get, 80-100 people, but we never have had to worry about running out of food."

Tickets are $20 each.

"Your ticket gets you your bidding number," Hauser said. "At $20 - that's pretty reasonable for a night out with dinner, a beverage, and entertainment. We also enter all our tickets for the door prize you have to be present to win. It is $500 in Ulysses bucks."

Hauser said in year's past, they had a gift valued at $500 as the door prize. However, they decided it was better to give the Ulysses bucks and let people choose what they wanted to spend it on.

"One year, a little kid came and drew the name and it was my husband," Hauser said. "I buy a ticket. Robin buys a ticket. My committee members buy tickets. I let my committee put their tickets in. Robin and I don’t put our tickets in, because even if legitimate it doesn’t look good. So, we aren’t eligible to win. The year my husband won,  I told him I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let you have it. We drew again. I told him now if he wins again I’ll let him win, but he hasn’t won."

Braven Phelps will be auctioneer for this year's live auction.

Items may be purchased via cash, check or credit card.

"It's a money maker for us at the chamber," said Hauser. "But it is also about having an event for our community to go to. Some may say there isn't anything to do in Ulysses but there is something to do - you just have to go out and enjoy it. There is a lot of work put in to thie event, but it is so much fun that night to watch everyone having a good time. It's just a fun evening."