Bags, Baubles & Bears

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Mark your calendar for an evening of fun and excitement Saturday, Sept. 30, when the Jan Manolis Family Safe Center holds its annual Bags, Baubles & Bears fundraising supper and auction at the Plains Ballroom.
Social hour and games will begin at 5:30 p.m., with supper at 6 p.m. and the auction to follow.
Individuals and businesses across the region have been donating goods, services and theme baskets filled with an assortment of treasures.
The community response, as always, has been tremendous in supporting the mission of the JMFSC, said director Jan Manolis.
“We’re asking everyone to consider making a donation of a new item — be it a bag or purse, bauble or bear — to be auctioned off at our event,” Manolis said.

“Baked goods are always a welcome donation, and they always make for fun bidding,” she said.
Donations made by Sept. 10 will have the donors names listed in the program, although donations of items will be accepted up until the event.
Among items to be auctioned will be one sack lunch (sandwich, chips and a soda) per month for a year from Manolis Grocery, and one bouquet of flowers a month for a year from Rainbow Flower Shop, as well as many themed baskets for hunting and relaxation. There will also be a birthday party and baby shower basket, each with a certificate for a specialty cake, a fashionable Vera Bradley purse filled with wine, glasses and a certificate for a meat and cheese platter, and a beach tote overflowing with serving dishes and snack and drink fixings for a fiesta.
Rod Sanderson has donated a three-night stay for four people at a Black Hills cabin, and items that will be of interest to men include a camoflage cooler from GCC Redi Mix and a car detailing and car care package from Auto Body Clinic.
Manolis has been involved with the domestic violence program in Huron for the past 33 years. The program serves Beadle, Sanborn, Hand and Kingsbury counties.
In the past year, the JMFSC has sheltered 67 people — one man and the rest women and children. About 20 people in the area serve as volunteer advocates to assist the program.
The Bags, Baubles & Bears auction is the biggest fundraiser held to support the JMFSC, which is also a United Way agency.
Several other fundraisers are held each year, including a pancake breakfast at the Elks from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 8, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
On Nov. 17, Just Desserts will be held at Coborns, and on April 28, the Dweebs will perform at a fundraiser in the Huron Event Center.
“We want to thank everyone for their support in helping the JMFSC to end domestic violence,” Manolis added.