Businesses all around Greater Westfield will soon receive letters from Westfield Kiwanis inviting them to be part of our 57th Annual Auction. Our club members have been hard at work on our yearly auction mailing, which will go out this week.
The Kiwanis Auction is the club’s longest-running and most important fundraising event. It began in 1969 as the Kiwanis Radio Auction, running on the local AM station, WDEW over several evenings. Over the years, the auction grew, moving to cable television under the leadership of the late Dr. Edwin Abar, founder of the communications program at what was then Westfield State College.
The auction expanded dramatically in the early years of the 21st Century, thanks to the generosity of the Westfield business community. The COVID-19 pandemic threatened to derail the auction completely when public health measures made the TV studio at Westfield State inaccessible. However, the club pivoted to an online auction format, which allowed auction fans to view and bid on items via the internet from the comfort of their homes.
Plans are in the works for a partial return to television in 2026, with a auction day program that will highlight the high-value items in the “Super Board.” We’ll have details soon.
If you’re a previous auction donor or sponsor, you’ll hear from us in the next couple of weeks. If you haven’t previously been an auction donor, we’d love to have your business become part of our family. Email us at auctioninfo@westfieldkiwanis.org for more information.