Hundreds of people showed up and thousands of dollars were raised for dozens of charities at Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club’s 62nd annual auction on Saturday, Aug. 3 on Sherman Field at Boothbay Region High School.

Once again, the weather cooperated with sunny skies and temperature in the 80s, but a bit less humid than last year. Lines formed early before the 8 a.m. opening of the various tents – the flea market, tools, silent auction, boutique, books and others. Before the tents were open, Boothbay Region Community Resource Council, Boothbay Region Health Center and Boothbay Region Elementary School’s eighth grade class were selling food items to raise money for their causes.

“We raised about $2,100 on Friday night in the Make an Offer section,” said Rotarian Robin Reed, who has participated in over 30 auctions. The section still had plenty of items, mostly furniture, on Saturday morning and was busy throughout the four-hour event.

For two hours before the live auction, wall-to-wall people filled the various tents looking for and buying items that caught their eye. As many left the grounds, more people arrived.

Professional auctioneer Robert “Bob” Foster, for about the 20th year, served as auctioneer for two hours. After being introduced and thanked by club president Rick Elder, Foster praised the Rotarians for all of their hard work in planning and carrying out the auction.

“By the end of the day, theses men and women, who carried all this stuff in, must carry this stuff out and store it again for next year. They deserve all the credit,” said Foster.

Foster, as always, kept the live auction light with his humor, but kept control as item after item was brought in front of him for the hundreds of bidders to see.

“It is a wonderful event,” said Sue Rowe of Boothbay. “It’s nice to see so many people supporting the Rotary.”