Dreary weather did not keep people away from the Mid-Trail Property Owners Association Auction, Flea Market and Boutique on Wednesday, August 10. All in attendance enjoyed the enthusiastic auctioneering skills of Michael Valentini.
Rain, Rain, Go Away. So said the determined and ambitious ladies of the Mid-Trail Quilters and Property Owners Association as they watched the skies on August 10. And it did! By noon, the Paul and Carol Schaap Community Center and adjoining cold storage building were buzzing with people, poring over flea market treasures, boutique items made with love and a couple dozen special things to be auctioned live later that afternoon.
About a dozen tables held the flea market, which benefited the Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, and offered china, crystal, kitchen pots and tools, books, blankets, chairs, tables, and more, all at bargain prices. There was certainly something for everyone and no one left empty handed. Cake, cookies, coffee and lemonade fueled the shoppers as they browsed and bought.
At the boutique tables, Sue Sutphin and Ina Huggenvik helped shoppers get a head start on Christmas gift giving with cozies, cuties and stocking stuffers. If you didn’t see the purses made from two men’s ties, you missed something quite clever!
The Flea Market/Boutique offers an eclectic mix of items. Shoppers were able to find treasures for everyone on their gift list.
But the main event was the live auction, which benefited the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department. Fire Chief Jim Morrison spoke briefly about the activity of the department and delivered a very important message to all Gunflint Trail residents…call 911! Call if you have chest pains, call if you fall and something hurts more than it should, call if you haven’t seen your loved one who was out fishing all day and should have been home by now! Call 911 and the GTVFD will respond.
GTVFD members save lives and do it all as volunteers. It’s the main reason everyone in the audience was especially generous during the live auction. Called this year as last by volunteer firefighter Michael Valentini, the live auction raised thousands for the GTVFD. Michael led with a silly joke and was off and running. Again, if you weren’t there, you missed lots of diamond willow items, a telescope previously owned by Justine Kerfoot, a handsome stuffed pheasant, some amazing handmade quilts, a very suave martini traveler and handmade books along with a huge ladder and other must-haves.
The bidding was fierce and each time brought ooohs and ahhs from the audience as the bids kept climbing. Husbands and wives got caught up in the excitement of bidding…and bid against each other! Old quilts, new quilts, woodcarvings, cabin decor and fishing tackle, all brought in great bids amid cheers and applause from the audience. Then everyone paused to reflect as the final item, the “Red-line” quilt honoring fallen fire fighters, was auctioned.
The fun afternoon, an August highlight on the Trail for about 15 years, raised more than $11,000 for two good causes. The very special ending was the selection of the winner of the lovely Lakes and Woods themed quilt made by the Mid-Trail Quilters. The lucky winner was Samantha Payne of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, who was happily stunned to realize her name had been drawn.
Mid-Trail Property Owners Association President Tersenia Schuett expressed delight with the enthusiasm of everyone who paid no attention to the inclement weather. “I must thank Judy Edlund for all her hard work on the event,” noted Tersenia. “We all work throughout the year making the quilts and other items. Then everyone helps set up the flea market and auction. We do it with gratitude for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department and the Gunflint Trail Historical Society. They truly enrich our Northwoods experience.”
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