Columbia City Rotarians raise funds to support scholarships during annual dinner, auction
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
On Saturday night, some came to bid on vacation packages and others came to bid on rare opportunities such as being the Mayor of Columbia City for a day or to watch the Old Settlers Day parade on a couch downtown. Some came to bid on handcrafted items made in Whitley County. Others came to enjoy an evening of fun alongside friends or to support the months of work put forth by the Columbia City Rotarians. All, however, came to support the Columbia City Rotary’s generous scholarships to local high school seniors. 
Saturday evening’s Columbia City Rotary Scholarship Auction was the culmination of many months worth of work and a visual indication of the level of generosity of local businesses and individuals.
According to Columbia City Rotary Auction chairman Ben Romine, after expenses, $15,185.35 was raised at the auction.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the overall outcome considering the economic conditions,” Romine said.
Romine and fellow auction committee members were particularly impressed with the support of those who bid and those who provided items for the auction – demonstrating Whitley County’s giving spirit in a time of financial uncertainty.
One of the evening’s top selling items was a week’s vacation to sunny Naples, Florida, with airfare donated by Don and Rosie Armstrong.
Other popular item was a quarter sawn white oak clock made by Chris Andreas.
The committee extends a sincere thank you to all of the individuals and businesses who donated items, made financial contributions or who attended the auction on Saturday and participated. Additionally, the committee is appreciative of the efforts of five members of the Columbia City High School National Honor Society and Student Council, including Adam Trump, Chelsea Sjahfiedin, Emily Radke, Melissa Jackson and Morgen Hoffman.