Cancer auction slated for this weekend

FREEBORN — After giving thanks and eating turkey on Thursday, residents in and around Freeborn will gather at the bar for a good cause.

TB3’s Bar & Grill will host the Freeborn Area Cancer Auction on Friday and Saturday. Event organizer Jeanette Ladlie said this is the sixth year the cancer auction has been held and it keeps growing each year.

“Our first year started out at $12,000 and last year we made $38,000,” Ladlie said. “So we are increasing.”

The event is put on by the Albert Lea Eagles Club and starts at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. There is no ending time set in stone for either evening. Rich Honstad with the Sound of Rahk will provide entertainment both nights from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Ladlie said that the event was at the Eagles Club in previous years, before they decided to give Freeborn a try.

“I did it down at the Eagles for many years before,” Ladlie said. “It’s that the interest just wasn’t there. We weren’t getting enough people so we decided to try it over here in Freeborn and it’s just been a real success.”

Ladlie said that the people of Freeborn have really embraced the event.

“You better believe it, they’re wonderful,” she said.

A raffle drawing will be at 6 p.m. Saturday. First place will get $5,000, second will get $1,000, third will get $500, fourth will get $250 and fifth will get $100. Other events are during the year to benefit cancer research including a flower sale in the spring and a hog roast on Labor Day weekend. The organization sells meat packs every week at the TB3’s Bar & Grill.

Ladlie said that it was difficult to list the number of things that were up for auction this year.

“We have anything from a shotgun to a ladies weekend in the Cities,” She said. “We have home canned goods; we have a home theater surround system. We have everything.”

She also said that they specialize in making baskets, and that at least 85 baskets of different varieties for sale this weekend. A list of auction items can be found at katoinfo.com/facauction.

Ladlie said she expects big crowds this weekend, with people having time off from work because of the holiday weekend and people from out of town being in the area for the weekend.

“A lot of people being home, and families being together is what we really started out with,” she said. “And once you get started, it’s pretty hard to change the date, so you just keep it the same and it works out great.”

 

If you go

What: Freeborn Area Cancer Auction

Where: TB3’s Bar & Grill

When: 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday