One of the items at this year’s Dollars for Scholars auction is a ride on this air balloon, donated by Jim and Carol Uhlman. Jim said the ride includes an evening flight that could range from a few miles to a 10 mile journey. He said he usually reaches 800 to 1,000 feet in the air, high enough to see Gull Lake and other Brainerd area lakes from the Staples area. If the weather is nice and there are no obstacles, he can float low above treetops and over swamps. Wildlife can often be spotted while traveling over fields and woods, he said. Included in the ride is an after-landing celebration, said Uhlman. (Submitted photo) The annual Dollars for Scholars auction will have a new day, new items and a new process.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, instead of the usual week day, the auction will have more silent auction items that can be bid on all day.

Auction organizer Jody Longbella said people interested in specific items can watch on public access television or call in to find out when their item is up for bid. She said the auction will not be on the radio this year.

One of the new items is a coffee table made from the old gym floor from the Staples gym. That special item will be available to bid on all evening, and will be the last item auctioned. Another new item is a hot air balloon ride, donated by Jim and Carol Uhlman.

Longbella said those items with a personal touch make the auction special. She said home made scarves, hats and mittens are popular at the auction, as are works by local artists and photographers. She said many people appreciate student services such as National Honor Society and other students volunteering to do jobs. As always, there will be a lot of food available.

The backbone of the auction are the items donated from local businesses. “ Our local businesses support the auction tremendously,” said Longbella, “We couldn’t do it without them.”

Longbella said the auction process starts in November when committee members contact local businesses to see if they want to donate. “Some of them want to put the items on last year’s books,” she said. “They usually have good ideas for the auction.”

Then, as donated items trickle in, Longbella keeps track of them on a spreadsheet she has been working on for the last two auctions. “For the first two years it was hard, but now we have a good system putting it all together,” she said.