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Going once, going twice, sold: Newcomers Club hosts auction to raise funds, bring community together

Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post
People at the Newcomers Club Auction look at items up for sale at tables for their Tuesday.

The Morgantown Newcomers Club held its yearly auction Tuesday.

“We enjoy it. People love to come every year,” the club’s publicity director, Marilyn Shulman, said. “It helps people to meet other people in the community. Especially if they’re new to Morgantown, and they begin to form friendships in the club and the auction is just one of the means to achieve that.”

About 65 people came to the auction, which costs $30 to attend and included a meal from Atria’s. The theme of this year’s auction was “Homegrown Gourmet.”

A wide variety of items were auctioned and many of them were donated by members of the club. One person made a quilted Christmas table runner. Other members made baskets with foods, such as homemade nuts in tins, great for a gift or yourself, Shulman said.

Typically the auction raises about $3,000, which is used to cover club expenses, such as its website, postage and a yearly welcome picnic for new members, Shulman said. The club won’t know how much money Tuesday’s auction raised until the auditor finishes a review.

The club was founded in 1976 by realtor Pat Stewart. Its purpose is to offer new residents to the area a way to gather socially, build friendships and assimilate into their new community, according to its website.

Shulman said in addition to the main club, there are groups formed out of common interests, such as cooking and games.

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