“There’s some seriously cool stuff here” was one of the many comments going around the Boothbay Common on Aug. 5 during the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club’s Annual Auction and Flea Market. This year marked the 60th one and the community came out in force for new treasures and in support of the Rotary and all its good works.

Setting up an event of this magnitude can be overwhelming, but the dedicated volunteers in the blue shirts on Friday, Aug. 4 made it look quite the opposite. Margaret “Margi” Spratt, who co-chaired the auction with her husband Henry Wyatt, said 80 percent of those volunteers were Rotarians. Others came from local businesses, The Community Center, the U.S. Coast Guard Station in West Boothbay Harbor, high school students from GAPP and Interact Club; and others were friends or family members of Rotarians or just wanted to pitch in.

“What I find amazing is the volunteers who come from out of state and have scheduled their vacations around this event,” Spratt said.

Volunteers erected tents, unpacked hundreds of boxes, hefted furniture from moving trucks, pickups, and trailers. Most of them were wearing blue Rotary T-shirts, but all of them were wearing smiles.

Folks poured in – singles, couples and families – and headed for the tents for items they were in search of, and items they might not have been looking for – like a giant stuffed animal, an unusual lamp, a 1930 hardcover of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender Is the Night,” textured wallpaper, or – you fill in the blank!

The live auction, with auctioneer Bob Foster, that lightning fast speaker — do I hear 25, 50-5o, 55, 75, 100 — how does he do it? Foster did slow the tempo down to briefly describe each piece of furniture or a boat, and when he reminded folks not to wave at anyone lest that gesture be considered a bid, or when a storage trunk-chest piece was up for bid and he said, “This is for the Rotary so whatever might be in there goes with it!”

Yes it was for the Rotary, but we all know this club makes charitable donations, both locally and with Rotary International for causes around the world, so ... tally ho! How’d the event do?

Spratt said, “Of course we don’t have a final tally yet. I think we did as well, or better, than last year — and last year was a record-setting year. I know the Rotary’s net will be better because the auction had sponsors this year to defray some of the costs.”

The nine sponsors, AC Midcoast Storage, Boothbay Harbor Country Club, Spruce Point Inn, J. Edward Knight, The First National Bank, Hodgdon Yachts, Tindal & Callahan Real Estate, Paul Whitehead Jr. and Making History Matter collectively gave $3,750 towards expenses.

Donated auction items not purchased went to various organizations: Habitat For Humanity came to the Common for tools, building supplies and furniture; Big Hearted Books out of Boston came for some of the books to distribute in places such as prisons and halfway houses; and local thrift shops were called to take whatever they wanted from the flea market.

“We want to make sure as many items are recycled as possible,” said Spratt. “The (Rotary’s) storage barn makes it possible to keep children’s tent items, all the old books, antiques, collectibles, and some pieces of furniture to save for next year. We’re hoping more organizations will come in the future to take things.”

Spratt said a couple from Toronto, who were first in line for the antiques in the gazebo, stopped her to say how much they loved coming to the auction because the community was as nice as the people in it. The woman added, “It’s just the way we think communities should be.”

“This idea of organizations and people helping each other is something Rotary really tries to promote,” Spratt said. “The Boothbay Region Community Resource Council did the concessions for us this year. Through that one group, many community groups are represented.”

And in the end, that’s what it’s all about. The Rotary’s motto is “Service above self.”