Auction on the River pulls in $45,000 for Kids!

The annual Auction on the River held at the home of Jim Ogle in Pittman Center brought in $45,633 for the Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains. “The money raised is to provide programs and opportunities for our 1200 Club members,” says Eric Bennecker, Board President. “We’re thrilled that we had such a good turnout to support our kids!” Although Marty Loveday was the official auctioneer for the event, Linda Ogle of Riverside Towers and Steve Caldwell of the UT Football Coaching Staff, livened up the auction with their antics throughout the night. “I had so much fun and it’s for such a worthwhile organization,” says Linda Ogle. “Our children need our help. Did you know that we have children in our community whose parents have OD’d on meth? Who have already been introduced to prostitution at nine years old? And I just found out that our county has the 5th highest juvenile crime rate in the state! If we don’t step up to help our kids now, our county is going to be in trouble.” According to Executive Director Mark Ross, “We try each year to make this a fun event for a serious reason. Our chairperson this year was Pattie Thiele and I think she did an outstanding job in setting the tone for the evening. And of course, so many businesses helped by providing items for the auction. We’re very lucky to have this support for our kids!” The Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains is an after school and summer program whose mission is to inspire and enable all young people to become productive, responsible and caring citizens through nationally designed and acclaimed programs. There are four Sevier County locations - Gatlinburg, Kodak, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville - and fall registration for Club membership is currently open. Please call 428-6550 or visit www.bgcsmoky.com for more information on how your child can attend The Positive Place for Kids in Sevier County!