WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Veterans will be honored at this year’s “Red, White and True Blue Auction,” Missouri State University-West Plains’s annual auction set for April 7 at the campus’ Student Recreation Center, 323 West Trish Knight St., in West Plains.
Proceeds from the event, in its 23nd year, will be used to help fund the Veterans Center, which will be housed in Hass-Darr Hall (the former local post office building) after it is renovated.
“The event holds a special place in my heart due to the project that it funds,” said Auction Committee Member Sunie Pace. “During World War II, my father, Jack McNevin, served as a Marine. I know firsthand what it means to veterans when they are recognized for their sacrifices. The Veterans Center helps our local heroes find their footing and a new chapter in their lives.”
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with “drinks with the vets” and a small silent auction. A dinner catered by Savor Grill will get underway at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, or $400 will reserve table for six, organizers said. With “Red, White and True Blue” as the theme, guests are being asked to wear blue. Veterans are welcome to wear their dress uniforms, but it’s not required.
“This year’s auction is one that we can all be proud of,” said Missouri State-West Plains Director of Development Joe Kammerer. “We will have the honor guard on hand to present the colors, the Zizzer band will perform some patriotic melodies, and all veterans in attendance will be recognized. We will finish the evening with a live auction where all proceeds will benefit our student veterans, who also will be on hand.”
Businesses and individuals who have already donated items for this year’s event include Acrobats of China; Arlee’s; American Dehydrated Foods, Inc. (ADF); International Dehydrated Foods, Inc. (IDF); Bless Ur Heart Boutique; Burton Creek Medical Complex; Carter’s Jewel Chest; Cleea’s At Home Market; Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp; Dickerson Park Zoo; E-Communications; Flo Fitness; Fout Boat Dock; Friends of the Garnett Library; Furniture Factory Outlet Home; Hart Family Eyecare, LLC; Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply; Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center; Jimmie’s Family Restaurant; Joe and Heidi Kammerer; Kathy Grigsby; The Kloz Klozet; Missouri Botanical Garden; Missouri State University Athletics; Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Athletics; Ozark Radio Network; Pyramid Foods; Ramey Supermarket; Randoll Combs; Rustic Rose Boutique; Schlafly Brewery; Sight and Sound Theatre; Simply Chic; Sunburst Ranch; The Fish Shack; The Gateway Arch; The Track Family Fun Parks; Tommy Vohn; Uptown Boutique; US Cellular; Walt Disney World Company; West Plains Electric Supply; Williams-Hilltop Kennel; and Wood and Huston Bank.
Animal Clinic of West Plains, Coastal Energy Company, Community First Banking Company, Decorations for Celebrations, Flo Fitness, Melissa Stewart Law Office, Regal Beloit and Savor Grill are sponsors of the Red, White and True Blue auction.
Those wishing to donate items, become a sponsor, or purchase tickets and tables can call the Missouri State-West Plains development office at 417-255-7240, e-mail WPDevelopment@MissouriState.edu or visit the website. To take a sneak peek at the current list of auction items, visit the auction’s Facebook page.