Hutson auction held to benefit Old Town Cape

"One hundred, do I hear one-twenty-five now, come on, now where do I see one-twenty-five, a pittance to pay for this one-of-a-kind item" went the pitch from the silver-tongued auctioneer.

The crowd, hesitant to respond, was prodded forward.

"Remember, it's only money, people," said Charles Hutson, who sometimes works as a circuit court clerk. And seeming to forget he needed to take a breath, Hutson kept nudging and forced bidders to dig a little deeper into their purses and grip their paddles a little tighter.

That's how money was raised at a charity event held Saturday evening.

The event was the 19th annual Charles L. Hutson auction held to benefit Old Town Cape. Donated items ranged from the modest, such as a one-year subscription to the Southeast Missourian, to the extravagant, such as a Panasonic 61-inch high-definition television valued at $3,500.

Like the items, some attendees were dressed to the nines and some wore simple jeans and short sleeves.

Dave Hutson said he likes to keep it that way. "We try to keep it reasonable. We don't want this to be too intimidating, so we want the prices to be within people's reach. This isn't a show-off type event; this is an event for everyone to come out and have a great time," he said.

Low-key feel

That low-key feel, he said, is what his father, who died in 2003 and for whom the event is now named, loved most about it. "From the looks of things, quite a few people are feeling his spirit tonight," he said, laughing.

Approximately 200 people attended the event, which was held for the first time at Buckner Brewing Co. Items at the silent auction and the live auction were all bid on aggressively.

This, said Old Town Cape supporters, is key to the organization's success. "A good turnout is crucial to our existence," said Thomas Higgins of Old Town Cape, who donated free tax work for the event. "Last year our budget was $160,000 and we only get $20,000 of that from the city so you can see an event like this funds a lot of what we're able to do."

Attendees also seemed eager to raise money to help revitalize downtown. "My husband and I lived downtown for three years, and every time I hear someone is moving to Cape I try to convince them to move to downtown," Viney Mosley said. "We still do all our shopping down here and eat out here whenever we can. It's the people and the atmosphere here that makes the city special."

Organizers said the event was a success.

"It's been great so far. We sold all our tables of eight, and people seem like they're having a great time," said Terri Foley first vice president of Old Town Cape. "The funds go to revitalize the downtown and keep it as alive and vibrant as it possibly can be."

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245