COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – With a Price is Right theme, Tibbits 44th Annual Auction returned to a totally in person event featuring games and prizes, in addition to the traditional silent and live auction and raised nearly $52,000 Saturday, November 4 at Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater.
Darin Spieth and Dan Satow of Spieth & Satow Auctioneers led participants through an energetic evening of bids. Celebrating America’s number one game show, the event carried the theme throughout the theatre from popular games like Plinko and Punch-a-Bunch, to a life-size cut out of Bob Barker at a selfie station.
Ken Delaney took the role of the iconic host with Brian Dirschell providing the offstage announcements.
The live auction opened with four contestants invited to “Come on Down” to try their hand at a “Price is Right” game. In order to win the prize of a microwave donated by Swick TV & Appliance, and reminiscent of the original auction held to pay the electric bill, contestants had to guess the price of the microwave plus the theatre’s total CBPU bill for the past year. Margaret Nagg came the closest without going over beating out George Babcoke, Pat George and Robin Walling.
Following the auction, Tibbits Board President Chris Donbrock said, “Thank you to our sponsors, donors and the community for their generosity. The auction is important part of our annual operations for this next year.” He also acknowledged the hard work of the committee, staff and all of the volunteers who assisted on a fun and successful event.
Dinners and special experiences highlighted the items up for bid. High bids for the evening came from three separate dinners donated by Kathy and Rick Merrill, one of which teams with Two Bandits Brewing. Other experiences garnering high bids were donated by Keiss Jewelry, the Detroit Lions, Clemens Food Group, Altrusa International of Branch County, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust and Century Bank and Trust. This year’s Barton S. Tibbits Sponsorship which gives the high bidder four tickets to every event at the theatre was purchased by Penny and Ed Geishert. The event also featured special trips offered through partnership with AmFund.
Winners of the auction raffle sponsored by Great Lakes Chiropractic were Kate Frederick $1000 first prize which she donated back to the theatre, Michael Caywood $250 second prize and Jeff Jones two Tibbits Summer Theatre season tickets third prize.
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