Manhole cover among oddities at Copper Queen Community Hospital auction
Supporters of the Copper Queen Community Hospital will be surprised at the offerings donated for this year’s annual silent auction.
One of the more unique items runs around 180 pounds and is made of cast iron. It’s a city of Bisbee manhole with the city’s logo cast into it. City employees delivered it to the auction site on Friday afternoon. The city’s Public Works director, Jeff Schwartz, said there were a number of the manholes that had been ordered at one time. Since the city ordered so many the company cast the logo on the covers. No one knows exactly when the manholes were ordered or even where they came from.
”These are really something to see. They’re very different, not your run-of-the-mill manhole covers,” Schwartz said. ”The Bisbee logo is imprinted and there’s a mining car on the cover as well. It’s very pleasing to the eye.”
May Kolbe, organizer of the event, said there were a number of exceptional pieces. ”We have so many nice things this year. There’s an 1800s Nepalese rifle, a pewter bowl with the White House insignia (compliments of Rep. Kathy Giffords), porcelain, pottery, gift baskets, a Korean hand-painted silk fan, hats, even tires,” she said.
There are also tickets for the UCLA-University of Arizona football game, Bisbee Blue turquoise jewelry and even a meteorite. Forty-seven items in all will be in the silent auction.
”There are going to be some happy people at the end of the night if their name is the last one on that sheet of paper,” said Virginia Martinez, assistant organizer.
The proceeds from the auction will go to pay for telemonitors, devices that allow contact between a patient and a nurse.
”Many times we just don’t have the staff to go out into the rural areas and check on shut-ins as we would like to do,” Martinez said. ”These tele-monitors allow us to check on them frequently so we can keep up with any change in their condition. We can take blood pressure, heart rate and look at any wound that may need attention. It can be a lifesaver for the patients.”
The benefit raised $17,000 last year.
”With all the things we have to auction, we sincerely hope that this year beats past years,” Kolbe said.
The gala benefit which will be held at the Serbian Hall on Park Avenue begins at 5 p.m. today with a social hour. At 6 p.m. dinner is served. After that, the entertainment kicks in for a night of dancing. The fun generally winds down around 9 p.m.
Tickets for the semi-formal event are $60 per person or $120 per couple. The public is welcome to bid on the auction items. For information, call the hospital at 432-6470.
Source: www.svherald.com
