My Neighbor in Needs Silent Auction completed for Princess
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Pauly Miller, center, is assisted by sons Willie, left, and Mike, right, as they prepare to move one of two Princess beds Pauly purchased during the 'Beds for Beds' auction sponsored by My Neighbor in Need. My Neighbor is a countywide volunteer group that helps neighbors with a need, connect with other neighbors for help. Since My Neighbor's startup in Blaine County the most requested household need has been beds and bedding.
The four Princess beds auctioned by the local My Neighbor in Need group is completed. On the night of last week's general election, the four winning bidders were named. My Neighbor, a county wide group that helps neighbors in need, got the beds through the generosity of Jim Warburton. Warburton bought a used semi-trailer and discovered it had several pieces of upscale furniture still in it, including four complete Princess beds. The beds typically retail for about $1,000.
Warburton approached volunteers with My Neighbor to see if the group had a use for the furniture he had discovered. Carol Johnsrud, who was instrumental in getting the local group organized and operational, said, "We decided to auction off the four complete beds as a fundraiser and called the auction 'Bids for Beds.'" During the few years that My Neighbor has been operating, beds and bedding are the most requested household items. Johnsrud added, "We figured we could raise some additional funds, through the auction, that would allow us to provide more than just four beds. My Neighbor bought the mattresses and after that expense we should clear about $1600. That money will go to provide beds when requested."
Princess beds destined as holiday presents
Two of the beds were successfully bid by Pauly Miller of Chinook. While loading the beds from where they were displayed for the auction, Miller said, "For right now the beds are going into storage at my business. All I want to say is that two little girls are going to be very surprised this Christmas when they see the special gifts they are getting." Two of Miller's sons, Willie and Mike, were helping her get the beds to the storage area from the bank. The two other beds were purchased by Trent Sizemore and Amanda Davies. Those beds also appeared to be purchased as special gifts for Christmas.
The two beds purchased by Pauly Miller were decorated, as part of the auction promotion, by individuals with My Neighbor in Need and the Chinook Lions Club. Early on local organizations were offered an opportunity to decorate one of the beds to be auctioned. The Lions Club's bed followed a 'snowflake' theme with matching sheets, blankets and pillow coverings. My Neighbor volunteers used a Princess and the Pea theme.
Tracy Harshman and Tracy McCracken, sisters-in-law, decorated one of the beds using art and characters from Disney's "Frozen" movie. Tracy Harshman said, "My sister-in-law saw the story in the local paper about the request to have groups or families decorate beds. We loved the idea and decided to do a bed ourselves." Harshman added, "We thought it was very gracious of Jim Warburton to donate the furniture he discovered. His generous act motivated us to do something to help with the auction and fundraiser."
Early on both the Wells Fargo and First Bank of Montana agreed to provide display space for the beds in the respective bank lobbies. The entire fundraiser was one of those events that happens when several random events fall into place.
The "Journal" thanks all the folks who helped put the auction together, the banks for allowing display space, the bidders and buyers and to Jim Warburton for his donation of the beds.
