Disco balls and concert tickets

There is no greater social pressure than being the low bidder at a small town charity auction.

He is smiling, making eye contact and giving you the feeling that raising your bidding paddle, nodding or saying “yes” is the most important thing you will ever do.

Auctioneer Tommy Wright leans in waiting to raise his hand and holler.

If you say yes, the pain of pressure goes away immediately and his focus moves to the new low bidder.

That new low bidder was Brooke Lattimore, coowner with her husband Seth, of the Akins BBQ, Convenience & Feed store.

The triumvirate of auctioneers led by Wright made the crowd feel alive and happy. They scanned the room looking for any intentional move or waggle of the paddle.

I think overpaying for things in the name of charity is a favorite to watch.

But in the end, the shame was mine as Brooke won the Bruce Springsteen tickets. Even overpriced, they were a good deal. It’s likely Bruce’s last trip to perform in Tulsa and the auction benefited the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber of commerce banquet was nothing like I’ve attended in Sallisaw the previous 18 years. This one combined a fundraiser with the annual awards.

Tyler Knoke returned to Sallisaw a few years ago and he demonstrated his fundraising prowess by chairing two Ducks Unlimited banquets in the county that grossed more money than I’ve ever heard coming from such an event anywhere near here. The chamber board incorporated those raffles and games to much success.

If you were there Saturday night, you know Tyler wasn’t. Even if you haven’t met Tyler, he towers over a crowd. He’s at least 6’8”, but without a ladder no one knows for sure.

Tyler was up north, and I don’t mean Stilwell, driving around on a lake ice fishing. He asked me the next day how it went, and I was happy to report that it was a wonderful time.

Several of us at the banquet reminisced about the last time we were standing on that floor, maybe together. The Rink hosted the banquet and while we were not on skates, the disco ball was calling. I’ve heard the event went so well that The Rink might be getting more business for events. It’s a huge building, one of the few climate-controlled, open spaces around, so let’s hope so!.

But if you are looking for me next week, I won’t be skating. I’ll be at the Akins BBQ having lunch to help pay my share of the bid I ran up.