A community-based shelter for abuse victims in the Fort Dodge area will hold its 13th annual Cake Auction fundraiser tonight (Saturday). Joyce DeHaan is director of the Domestic Sexual Assault Outreach Center and says bidding on the silent auction starts at 5 P.M. and covers a lot more than just cakes.
The live auction bidding starts at 6 P.M. and there are more items that’ll be on the auction block than ever before — including gift baskets, tickets to Iowa State University football games, a silver watch and much more. DeHaan says this has the potential to be the center’s largest-ever fundraiser.
There are some 80 live auction items and 100 silent auction items, all donated by the generous people in the community. DeHaan said this is an important fundraiser to help the center and those who depend on its services. She says the money is "absolutely essential" to the center; it’s not gravy, it’s the money they need to keep operating as federal funds continue to dwindle.
The center serves victims of domestic and sexual violence in an eight-county area of Iowa including: Webster, Calhoun, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Carroll, Wright, Crawford and Hamilton. For more details on the auction, log on to the center website or call (515) 955-2273.