Chris Cook – Forks Forum photo

The Quillayute Valley School District Scholarship Committee is reporting that the group raised $59,260 over the weekend of March 17-18. The funds came from the sale of 921 donated items plus cash donations.

The scholarship auction was held this year in the Forks High School Commons. In the past the event was staged in the Bank of America building on South Spartan Avenue, but the bank branch closed its doors in January.

“It was a great success from all information available and relocating to the school turned out to be a very beneficial move,” scholarship auction committee member Marcia Bingham reported on Monday afternoon, March 19. “There was more room, there was a great flow for visitors and workers, the senior parents ran a most successful ‘Senior Café’ with a fabulous menu so no one had to leave the premises to eat, and there were hundreds of bidders on hand for the 20 actual hours of the auction between Saturday and Sunday. Bidding was also available via phone and online.”   

“There was excitement in the air and the graduating class ran the 47th Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction, which was very well attended and is supported annually by the people of Forks and via donations and purchases,” she said.  

Among the top-dollar items was a hand-made collector’s knife with a handle made of horn donated by Steve Castellano that sold for $800. The knife received the highest bid of any item sold during the two-day event. 

The 921 donated items were gathered by the graduating class of 2012 under the leadership of senior class liaisons Jess Henry and Cutter Grahn.

Funds raised go to students going on to further schooling after graduating from a Forks high school.