AUCTION TO BENEFIT ANIMALS

You can bid on items like Beanie Babies and an autographed St. Louis Blues hockey stick while helping homeless animals at the 19th annual Humane Society of Southeast Missouri Fund-raising Auction.

The event at the A.C. Brace Arena Building will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a dinner catered by Mollie's and proceed to an evening of auctioneering and award-giving. Tickets are $15 in advance; call 334-5837.

The auction will include a T-shirt autographed by the World Cup winning U.S. women's soccer team, a St. Louis Blues hockey stick, antiques, artwork and many gift certificates, said Requi Salter, president of the board of the Humane Society. There will be a silent auction of nothing but Beanie Babies, she said.

This is the first year the auction has been held at the arena building. Salter said she hopes the money raised at this year's event will surpass last year's total of $15,000.

All proceeds go to take care of the animals at the shelter run by the Humane Society, Salter said.

"We depend on this money all year," she said.