Main Street Marion auction is Friday night

This Friday night’s auction, a fundraiser for Main Street Marion, is an opportunity for people to put their money where their mouths are, Chuck Wiegert, says.

Folks say something needs to be done for downtown, Wiegert, executive director of the Marion Main Street merchant and business association, adds, and attending the auction will give them an opportunity to enjoy an evening with friends and the opportunity to put their money into a program that directly supports businesses in the city.

This past year, about 200 people attended the annual auction and raised a little more than $3,000. The live auction features art, small items of furniture, weekend getaways and travel packages and a meal for 12 catered by Randy Floyd.

It’s a way to donate to a good cause and have fun bidding on items, he says, adding that the money goes for ongoing projects such as the group’s facade grants and new billboards.
Something new the money could help fund is a joint City of Marion and MSM project that is developing a package for companies that might be interested in relocating or opening a branch of their business in Marion, Wiegert says.

The auction begins at 7 p.m. in the Emporium on Main Street. Light refreshments will be served. Items go for between $5 to $500, Wiegert says.
MSM, formerly Historic Marion Revitalization Assocition works with the City of Marion and the Marion Chamber of Commerce to lead economic and physical revitalization of the downtown.