The 2023 Stampede Auction of Champion Pumpkins set a new fundraising record at the Black Hawk College East Campus.
The Oct. 25 event raised money for Kewanee Area United Way (KAUW), where 100% of donated money stays in the community to assist as many as 16 area agencies in providing services to residents in need.
Auctioneer and East Campus alumnus Bill LeSage persuaded the audience of BHC students, employees, retirees and alumni to spend a new record grand total of $8,400. The 2022 auction brought in $8,325.
Jake Ford, a member of the Livestock Judging Team, evaluates one of the pumpkin lots.
Sophomore Livestock Judging Team members evaluated the pumpkins, giving all of the reasons why audience members would want to be the high bidder on each lot. Other judging team members were bid spotters.
This year’s sale included 13 lots of pumpkins and/or pumpkin-themed items, ranging from single to multiple fresh pumpkins; homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, pumpkin whoopie pies and apple pies; baskets with pumpkin décor and pumpkin spice goodies; and a real pumpkin with a horse, spider webs and a spider painted on it.
Auction items were donated by:
- Amy Snyder
- BHC Community Education Center
- BHC Equestrian Program
- BHC Livestock Judging Program
- BHC Marketing & Public Relations
- Farmgate Market, Galva
- Haley Howerton
- Jen Holldorf
Jonwyn Ayres, a member of the Livestock Judging Team, evaluates one of the pumpkin lots.
The highest bid was $1,200 from the Freshman Livestock Judging Team. The team purchased a lot of one large and five small real pumpkins. Coming in with the second highest bid was the Sophomore Livestock Judging Team. Team members spent $1,050 for two plates full of edible pumpkin goodies and two pumpkin-shaped mugs.
The other winning bidders were:
- 2019 United Way Committee
- 2021-22 BHC Livestock Judging Team of the Year
- BHC Freshman Livestock Judging Team
- BHC Sophomore Livestock Judging Team
- Bloomberg Family
- Dan & Deanna Hoge
- David Harris
- Doug Parrott, Ray Jacobs, Dalton Kiselewski, Chris Adell, Kathy Malcolm and Danielle Williams
- Hoge Livestock
- Larson Farms
- Porter Cattle
- Transfer faculty & friends
- WIU Livestock Judging Team members who are BHC East Campus graduates
Thanks to the Agri-Business Club Alumni for providing lunch for everyone at the auction.