New York Mills Lions Club Annual Auction Set for April 11 at City Hall

A social hour kicks off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, inside the New York Mills City Hall ballroom, followed by a live auction at 7 p.m., as the Lions Club hosts its annual fundraiser that has drawn 200 to 300 attendees in past years.

The New York Mills Lions will host the auction through Perala Bros. Auctioneers, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits and community organizations. The public is invited and the event is free to attend.

The New York Mills Lions auction has raised more than $300,000 since the annual event began in 1991. There are typically between 75 and 100 items up for auction at each year's event. Past auction items have often been homemade, with donors putting considerable thought into what they contribute.

The auction's history reflects decades of direct investment in New York Mills. The Lions Club used proceeds to help build an expansion of the local food shelf and to create the New York Mills walking path at the south end of town.

The City Hall ballroom was designed, constructed, and financed principally with public funds as a WPA project in the 1940s and, after a remodeling project in 1999, offers a comfortable, grandiose atmosphere for public and private social gatherings. The venue is also on the city's municipal calendar for the event, which is listed simply as "Annual Lions Auction."

The New York Mills Lions Club is currently made up of approximately 100 members, making it one of the largest in central Minnesota. General meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month, from August through May, in the City Hall ballroom at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in more information about the club can contact Eric Weber at 218-837-6137.

The April 11 auction arrives on a busy spring calendar for New York Mills. The city's events lineup also includes a Fire Department Pancake Feed at the NYM Fire Hall, an Easter Egg Hunt, and a Scandinavian Tunes performance at the Public Library, among other upcoming gatherings.