Geraldton Rotary Radio Auction 2022 takes pre-calls for business pledges donating for October fundraiser

With Geraldton Rotary Club’s 31st annual Radio Auction nearing, it’s time for businesses to get the ball rolling as pre-calls open for new pledges. Volunteers had their phones to ears on Tuesday (May 24) taking pledges from various local businesses involved in previous auctions, as well as securing new pledges. Rotary Club co-ordinator Di Gilleland said she understood the Radio Auction had come a long way since it first begun, when a 91-year-old long-term attendee explained that in the early days pledges were donations such as watermelons. “In this year’s pre-call, we would love to see new, out of the ordinary pledges from Mid West businesses,” she said. “Last year, someone pledged a two-day ride in their Mustang.” Major items in the 2021 auction included Kimberley scenic flights, accommodation packages in Shark Bay, Rottnest and Broome, food packages including Queen of the Murchison, Zanders on Cable Beach, a Seawest Seafood cruise, and a range of products from gold detectors and trade equipment to furniture and decor. In the days leading up to the October event, a full list of items with a time schedule will be released and calls to bid will ring through the Telstra building. A major charity event in the region, the proceeds go to local community projects and helping those in need, with the Rotary Club hoping to raise more than $40,000 this year. The 2022 Rotary Club of Geraldton Radio Auction will be hosted on Sunday, October 30 and you can find the full list of items up for auction in the Geraldton Guardian on Friday, October 28.