PAWS running virtual sweet treats auction

WASHINGTON — PAWS & More Animal Shelter is running a baked good auction through Facebook in the coming days, with bidding running from Feb. 6 through 10.

“We wanted it to be a fun event for people to get their snacks and items before Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl weekend,” Shelter Director Amber Talbot said. “People will bid on different desserts and snacks … and then pickup for the items are going to be Saturday morning at the Kalona Community Center, that way all the items will be made fresh and ready to be picked up right away for the weekend.”

Talbot said the entire event would run through the group’s Facebook page, but would not require participants to have accounts with the service.

“You do not have to have Facebook to be able to participate in this event,” she said. “Because we are a business, they can visit our Facebook page just like they can visit a website … and can participate in those types of things.”

The event promises to be an effective fundraiser, with every product on sale donated by community members.

“All of the baked goods are donated by local community members,” she said. “Some are businesses, most are private citizens, so all the baked goods are donated, so all the proceeds go to PAWS & More.”

The idea was pitched to the organization’s board by PAWS Treasurer Sara O’Donnell.

“Hospice of Washington County has done a huge dessert auction for a few years, I participated in it in the first year as a bidder and just thought, ‘That’s such a neat way to connect with people that wouldn’t normally participate in other fundraisers.’” O’Donnell said. “I did some research on how they set theirs up, because when I participated it ran very smoothly. From there we just kind of tweaked it and made it our own.”

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