Community Invited To Support Lake Center’s 2023 Auction
37th Live Auction To Be Held Saturday April 29 at LCCS
By: Emily Chesnic, Campus Communications & Volunteer Coordinator
HARTVILLE – Get your bid paddles ready! Lake Center Christian School’s 37th Annual Auction will feature an online and live auction in April. The online auction will run Wednesday, April 19-23, and a live dinner auction will take place on Saturday, April 29, from 4-7:30 PM, at Lake Center Christian School.
Community members are invited to participate by visiting www.lccs.com/auction to learn how to donate an item, buy dinner tickets, register to bid, preview items, and engage as a sponsor.
Gathering to Advance the Kingdom of God
“The Auction transcended from being a fundraiser to being a community building event, and now is really part of our rich LCCS history and heritage,” said this year’s auction emcee, Mr. Eric Schroll, who has served Lake Center for three decades, as an educator, administrator, and auction supporter.
“The benefits we are enjoying today were birthed 10, 20 and 30 years ago by individuals who believed in the importance of Christian education,” said Mr. Schroll. “The annual Auction is an event where we can truly pull together the entire school family and celebrate God’s goodness to us.”
Bakers Needed to Help Reach Auction Goal
This year’s theme is “We’ve got the Spirit.” Guests attending the live auction will be treated to a fun fellowship evening to celebrate Lake Center’s Tiger Pride.
Included in this year’s theme will be a silent dessert auction category called “Tasty Tiger Treats”. Up for bid will be cakes and cookies decorated in school colors, blue, gold and white, to match the auction theme. Businesses or bakers are being sought to participate by donating a decorated cake, or a dozen of cookies. Anyone interested should contact Auction Coordinator Mrs. Stacey Baker at [email protected]. An official “Tasty Tiger Treats” sponsorship is also available and includes four reserved dinner ticket seats and other marketing perks.
Mrs. Baker said her goal is to have 250 items up for bid between the online and live Auction events. The item wish list includes sporting and concert tickets, farmhouse-style furniture, lawn equipment, gift cards, electronics, rounds of golf, vacation home stays, travel packages, hosted cooking parties, and spirit wear. All of these items will compliment the school’s grade-level class baskets and teacher experience donations.
With the community’s support, Lake Center is aiming to raise $145,000 from this year’s auction. “All funds will support the school’s operating and endowment funds to continue the growth of Lake Center ministry to provide Christian education in Northeast Ohio for students in grades K-12 to hold firm to a biblical worldview and boldly live in truth,” said Advancement Director Dawn Campanelli.
“Come, be a part of something that is much bigger than yourself. Be a part of what God is doing. Yes, we want everyone to support the fundraising effort, but it’s even deeper than wanting something from you; we want something for you,” said Mr. Schroll. “Come, taste and see for yourself. It’s amazing.”
The annual Auction is an event where we can truly pull together the entire school family and celebrate God’s goodness to us.”
A Legacy of Contagious Support
Mr. Schroll said serving as the emcee helps him honor the legacy of Mr. Howard R. Miller Sr., “who had the original vision for the Auction and truly made it happen in the early years.”
“Howard loved LCCS, and it clearly showed in his presentation. I noticed he enjoyed telling a story of who donated the item and that a love for kids and Christian education motivated the gift,” he said. “From the beginning, my goal was to have a very similar approach: tell stories, show what motivates people to make gifts to the school.”
That approach is very contagious providing good energy in the room, added Mr. Schroll. For example, pint-sized jars of Amish peanut butter made by Howard’s wife, Mrs. Sara Miller in the early years sold for about $10.
“Once Howard passed, and Sara’s own health made it challenging for her to continue the tradition, she still did everything she could to get jars of that Amish peanut butter to Lake Center’s auction,” he said.
One year only 12 pint jars were available and competition among bidders raised the price up into the hundreds of dollars, with a couple of them going for $1000.
Auction Grows A Spirit For God
The Auction would not be possible without the coming together of many in service to Christ, giving an abundance of their time, talent and treasure to keep the love of Jesus flowing and faith growing on the school’s campus on Kaufman Road in Hartville.
Bidders are always very generous at the schools’ annual event. This attitude has helped Lake Center thrive. It embodies God’s truth, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” (Isaiah 44:3-4 NIV).
For more information, visit the event web page at www.lccs.com/auction.
Above: A longstanding tradition at Lake Center Christian School, the live Auction is taking place Saturday, April 29 to bring community supporters together to raise funds to advanced academic excellence and continue Christian character building at LCCS. Event details at www.LCCS.com/auction.
Photo by Emily Chesnic
Above: Mr. and Mrs. Cory and Christine Miller selected Lake Center Christian School as their family’s partner for Christian Education. Their son, Ender, is a kindergarten at Lake Center this year. Mr. and Mrs. Miller also are the parents of Oakely, 2, and Autumn, 6 months.
Photograph Provided by The Miller Family
