By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (February 27, 2017) – Round up your pennies and pocket change – or be prepared to cash in a wad of bills for some rolls of coins. Zonta Club of Stephenville hosts its 20th Annual Penny and Silent Auction at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 4.
Longtime Zonta member and former event chair Yvonne Jenkins said the game is like bingo, with a twist. Participants purchase cups for $1 each, then ping pong balls with numbers that correspond to numbers on the cups are placed in a hopper.
She also said a lot of penny auction regulars have a few superstitions surrounding the game.
“We have some people waiting for doors to open every year, just so they can get their lucky numbers,” Jenkins said. “Others get their early so they have time to look at all of the prizes club members have collected.”
Prizes are assigned a value ranging from a couple of cents to a dollar or two, and bidders place the designated amount of money in their cups when the cost is announced by the auctioneer.
The announcer then pulls a ball from the hopper and broadcasts the winning number across the loud speaker. The participant with the corresponding cup wins the prize – as long as the bidder had money in that cup.
“The more you play, the better your chance of winning,” Jenkins said, adding players can play as many cups as they like and some seasoned penny auction attendees play 10, 20 or more. “We always have several people playing who share their tips for managing multiple cups and keeping up with the game with newcomers.”
Once a winner has been announced, coins are dumped into a bucket and the process begins again with each new item.
“That’s when the pennies start to add up,” Jenkins said.
The prizes include goods and services donated by businesses and organizations, including furniture, jewelry, home décor, tools, gift cards galore and much more.
But, the true rewards benefit students across the county.
“Because of the prizes donated from generous individuals and businesses across the county, the Zonta Club of Stephenville is able to award 10 scholarships to local female students each year,” Jenkins said. “The scholarships further the club’s mission of improving the status of women worldwide.”
Seven high school seniors are awarded scholarships annually, and proceeds also benefit three scholarships at Tarleton State University – The Zonta Beaulah Brown Rodeo Scholarship for an eligible female rodeo team member; the Loy Patton Endowed Nursing Scholarship; and one for a single mother working toward her degree.
When the penny auction packs the recreation hall at city park and players ante up for the event, the funds add up quickly. For example, if 1,000 cups are filled with the 10-cent bid, the club can earn $100 off that one item. If the item up for bid is one of the big prizes reserved for the final round and assigned a price of $1.50, that single round of play could fund two $750 high school scholarships.
But the change doesn’t stop there. The Zonta Club has contributed thousands of dollars to dozens of charities over the last two decades, including Dwelling Place Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, Treehouse After-school Program, Cross Timbers Family Services and others that help improve the lives of women locally.
Over the years, the club has proven one thing – pocket change adds up. Jenkins said the ladies of the Zonta Club have raised an estimated $125,000 to $135,000 from the event.
The doors to recreation hall, located at 378 W. Long Street in Stephenville, will open at 5 p.m. The penny auction begins at 6 p.m. and continues until the last prize is awarded.
The fundraiser also includes a silent auction and concessions will also be sold by the ladies of the Zonta Club.
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