History of the Sale

The first Rotary Auction was held in 1960, raising $6,744, which covered a significant part of the $35,000 cost to build the Bainbridge Public Library. The second auction, in 1961, raised another $4,362 to buy furniture for the new library, which opened in 1962. Some notable sale items from the 1960’s include: 4 Sheep & trailer ($75); a 1947 Studebaker ($15); and two ¾-acre lots, donated by Maldor & Edna Flodin ($400 each)!

The first three auctions were held at Winslow Shipyard (which later became the Ferry Maintenance Yard). After that, the auction moved to Commodore Bainbridge Intermediate School. In 1995, the school district opened Woodward Middle School, and the auction moved from Commodore to Woodward, where it remains today.

For many years, a live auction was the main fundraising event, but gradually the rummage sale grew to overtake it. By 2009, because of a serious recession, donations by local businesses declined, and the live auction raised less than 10% of the total. Today, there are still live vehicle auctions and silent bid auctions in some departments, but the majority of the sale is ‘rummage style’ throughout the classrooms, parking lots, and fields of the school.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rotary club found a way to continue to run the annual sale. In 2020 and 2021, utilizing auction management software, we transformed the event into a no-contact experience. Donations and purchases were conducted from the comfort of participants’ homes. Donors retained their items at their residences, while buyers arranged to collect their purchases from the donors’ driveways or another agreed-upon location. We received exceptional support from our community of donors and participants, and the funds raised were allocated to organizations addressing specific needs arising from the pandemic.

Over the past 65 years, our gross revenue has totaled more than $12.2 million dollars! After expenses, that means our net revenue – donated entirely to charitable purposes – has been about $9 million.

Thank you, Bainbridge Island, for many years of support of the Rotary Auction!