So much fun it's scary

QUINCY - Costumes might not have been required at the auction Saturday night, but they sure were embraced.

Bacon and eggs, virtually the entire cast of "Wizard of Oz" and the "Shrek" movies and other costume offerings were amongst the attendees during the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce and Quincy Rotary Club's annual auction Saturday at the Quincy Community Center.

"Every other year, the chamber and rotary put this on," Rotary Auctions Committee Chair Dave Lemon said. "It's a huge community event. The last few times we've done this, we've raised in excess of $40,000 net to the club and to the chamber of commerce."

Both organizations expected more than 200 people in attendance.

"It's just a fun event, it's a lot of camaraderie," Lemon said, noting the event is the largest fund-raiser for both entities. "We use this for sponsoring community activities, scholarships."

Earlier this year, the club sponsored construction of a pavilion in George to house the giant cherry pie during the town's July 4 anniversary celebration, one of the things proceeds have gone to in the past from the club, Lemon added.

"We put this money all back into the community, so it's a fun, good time," he said.

"We're just overjoyed of the turnout, how the decorations turned out and how really almost everyone has dressed up, and dressed up elaborately and put a lot of thought into it," chamber Executive Director Aleeta Merred said. "Everybody is having a great time … I heard for a while, 'Oh, really, do you have to dress up?' It's just suggested, you don't have to, and boy, everybody just went all out. And they're glad they did now."

Merred said prior to the event it had been her hope to make the auction open to everyone, and she believed those efforts were successful.

"I see a few absolutely new faces, and different faces," she said. "To open something like that up, it takes time, maybe a few more years, but I think the way we put it together, the people really feel welcome and at ease."

Before the auction began, chamber President Debbie Graaff bid farewell to Merred's predecessor, Lisa Karstetter, who left the chamber in September to take a position at Yahoo! Inc.

Karstetter then read off the accomplishments of the year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner, longtime Quincy resident Karl Weber.

"Tonight's winner was born at home in 1912, one of 10 children, one girl and nine boys," Karstetter read from Weber's introduction. "He has kept active all his life, which may partly explain his longevity and up until this week has lived alone, keeping his own house, garden, chickens, yard and everything else."

Weber passed his first driver's test last year, Karstetter told the bemused audience, for such a thing wasn't required in the 1920s.

"(Weber) is one of only a small handful of old timers left here in the Quincy Valley and is the only one who has never left, having always farmed right here just as his family has always done," Karstetter said. "His faithfulness and high standard of integrity is evident from looking at his life."

"I'm so thankful my parents came to this country, this country has been good to me," Weber said during his acceptance speech. "God has blessed the whole valley and through the tough times has helped us go through. Even if we had to fight the jackrabbits, the wind, storms and dust storms and all that, but we survived, and look what we've got today. The Lord has been good to this valley and we shall praise him forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

During the festivities, Graaff, who was wearing a queen costume, passed along her crown and robe to her replacement, Dan Robinson, who assumes the presidency of the chamber in January.

"I think it's been exciting, it's moving forward and it's an exciting time," Graaff said, reflecting on the past year in the chamber.

Robinson foresees more excitement and growth for Quincy.

"We basically just touched the tip of the iceberg, in my opinion," he said. "The big businesses coming in town, you still expect a lot of support businesses to decide they want to relocate to Quincy."