Habitat event features steak and treasures

A vintage Lionel electric train set, a football autographed by University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, and an antique rocking chair are just a few of the items up for grabs at this year’s Habitat for Humanity Smoked Steak Dinner and Auction.
It will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Jackson County Agricultural Center conference room on Penn Avenue in Marianna.
Dinner starts at 5 p.m. A silent auction begins at 4:30 p.m., with bids taken until 6:15 p.m.  The live auction begins at 6:30 p.m.
Bill Peacock is cooking the steaks, and students in the Marianna High School culinary arts program will prepare and serve the desserts.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. 
Janet Harns, a founding member of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, said the organization hopes to raise $25,000 this year, the same as last year.
She’s hoping people who attend will be prepared to bid high on the donated items.
Some of the other specialty items that might appeal to sports fans are two large mirrors, one 30 by 30 feet, and one 30 by 36 feet. One has the University of Florida emblem sandblasted onto it. The other has Florida State University’s emblem.
A bench with the FSU logo, and one with the UF logo will also be up for auction.
Christmas stockings and key rings from various universities will also be on the auction block.
An out-of-print book about the Chipola River is attracting a good deal of interest in advance of the big night.
Art lovers will have a chance to bid on pottery pieces created by Dawn Prietz, and some turned-wood bowls crafted by a local woodworker.
There’s even some asphalt milling, fill dirt and concrete on the sale list.
For those looking for a break on their next vacation, there’s a $200 off coupon for a cruise of the buyer’s choice, and a two-night stay at a Panama City motel.
In addition to these more unusual items, Harns said many of the goods and services up for auction are things people need, anyway.
“One thing we have more of this year are services from our local businesses,” she said. “They were very generous this year with things like hair cuts, make-overs and spa treatments, car washes, oil changes, just a abundance of things that people are going to spend money on anyway. There are unique gift baskets you could buy at auction and give for Christmas.”
Harns said the money used to buy the items remains in Jackson County, and bidders could find some bargains.
“If you’re going to spend it, why not spend it with us? It magnifies the benefit so much – you get something you want or need, with money that was already in your budget to spend, and you have helped a worthy cause,” she said.
Using volunteer labor, Habitat for Humanity builds homes for low-income families, with the families participating and paying back the money it took to build the home. Their no-interest mortgages usually run 20 years. The first Habitat homes were built here in 1989, and two or three are now paid in full, Harns said. The money goes back into the organization’s construction fund. Since the 1989 start, Habitat has built 43 homes and is working on the 44th.
Those who would like to buy a ticket to the dinner and auction can call 482-2187. Leave a message if no one is there. A Habitat representative will deliver the tickets and pick up the money if necessary.
Harns said the organization would also welcome additional donations of unique or valuable items in these last few days before the event.