After tossing their caps on June 15 the class of 2017 will meet at Audrey Moore RECenter to celebrate the closing of their high school career as a class. The All Night Grad Celebration (ANGC) lasts from 10:30 p.m. June 15 to 6:00 a.m. on June 16. The entire senior class is invited and can participate in activities such as face painting, swimming, massage therapy, hypnotism and much more.

All the events at the ANGC are free with the purchase of an entrance ticket so the Annandale Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has to raise substantial amounts of money to make this event happen. The PTSA is trying a new fundraiser this year, an online auction, in an effort to lower ticket costs for the seniors who attend the ANGC.

“Every dollar we receive helps keep the ticket cost down, so whether we raise $500 or $2000, I will consider the auction a success,” auction organizer Kimberly Bellem said. “The total amount donated through the online auction, minus some fees and supplies, will be applied to the overall cost of the “All-Night Grad Celebration”, which will help keep the ticket price at a reasonable level.”

The auction will be completely online and will be open for bidding March 4 at 12 p.m. and will close at 12 p.m. on March 18. Anyone can bid on an item online, the only restriction is any alcohol related item cannot be purchased by anyone who is under the age of 21.

“In order to place a bid, you will need to register on the Bidding Owl website, which can be done from the online auction homepage,” Bellem said. “To register, you need to have an e-mail address and it is recommended you register from a pc (non-mobile device). Once you are registered, you will be able to view items and place bids on your mobile device.”

The bidding price will be automatically set on the website and will increase by increments of $5. There will not be a maximum bidding price, however there is a preset “buy now” option. This will be set at specific price and can be pressed at any time.

“Payment for all items may be made online through a credit card or PayPal or by cash or check at the time you pick-up your item.  Auction items will be available for pick-up on Saturday, March 18th from 6:30pm until 8:30pm in the Annandale High School Cafeteria. Anyone can bid, but items need to be picked up in person.  Out of town family and friends can bid and designate you as the pick-up person,” Bellem said.

Over 40 businesses have already donated items to be auctioned off, some of them being Elite Island Resort, Disney Theme Parks and Flight. Donations will be accepted until March 1.

“The earlier the item is donated, the better, because we have more time to advertise their contribution.  Families, friends, groups and teammates are encouraged to put together a themed basket like “Night at the Movies”, “Summer BBQ”, “College Road Trip”, etc.” Bellem said.

The ides for the fundraiser came from a PTSA meeting back in October. Bellem expressed that the mindset behind having an online auction is that it offers a variety of goods so everyone is bound to have interest in something that is being auctioned off. The items that are available for purchase also are likely to be bought within six months of the action anyway and this way the money goes towards a good cause.

The auction is relying heavily on support and advertising within the community and hope that this first year fundraiser will be a success.