The Greater Shawnee Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual auction and Tasty Affair will be held Thursday at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. A reception and silent auction will begin at 5 p.m., and the silent auction will end at 6:45 p.m.
The Tasty Affair will begin at 6 p.m., and the live auction will begin at 7 p.m.
The annual event is the chamber’s only fund raiser, and all proceeds go to the chamber’s ongoing work in the community. More than $50,000 was raised at last year’s event.
“Our goal is to always raise more money than the previous year, and we’re going to continue doing that,” said Margaret Davis, chamber organization division chairwoman.
The event continues to gain popularity, and increased ticket sales reflect that, said Nancy Keith, president of the chamber.
“Ask anyone that’s been there, and they’ll tell you they’ll never miss,” Keith said.
Because of the greater demand, extra tickets and extra seats are provided this year, Davis said.
“It’s the social event of the year, and it’s always been a sell-out,” she said.
Local restaurants provide food for a “taste” at the Tasty Affair. Each restaurant provides enough for about 450 “tastes,” said Penney Weaver, the chamber’s office manager.
“There’s such a variety, you get full,” she said. “We expect the food to be wonderful. That’s one thing you can say about Shawnee’s restaurants — they step up and show off.”
Items for this year’s Tasty Affair will include baked goods, shrimp cocktails, roasted pork, barbecue, Mexican and Chinese cuisine, deli items, wine and margaritas.
A long list of items are up for grabs in the auctions, including tickets to two University of Oklahoma Sooner football games; two trips to Mexico; Oklahoma City Blazers tickets; OKC Thunder tickets; NASCAR tickets; a birthday party at the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole; two iPods; and jewelry. Weaver said two one-of-a-kind miniature replicas of two of Shawnee’s Horses in the City will also be auctioned.
“We’ve had a great response from the businesses in the community,” said Cindy Lantz, the chamber’s program coordinator.
“This event gets better every year,” Davis said.
Entertainment during the event will be provided by singer and songwriter Chuck Allen Floyd.
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Jason Smith may be reached at 214-3932.
Some of the items up for auction at the 2008 Greater Shawnee Chamber of Commerce auction include:
• A miniature Ford Mustang, donated by Seminole Ford.
• A three-night stay at Lake Quachita and Mount Ida.
• Tickets to Guthrie Mystery Theater’s “Murder Mystery Weekend in Guthrie.”
• A swimming party at Seminole State College.
• Lunch for two at the Capitol with state legislators.
• Rounds of golf.
• A flat-screen television
• University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University throws.
