Saturday night's 11th annual Celebrity Auction of the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County raised more than $50,000 for the club's programs, the club has announced.

More than 225 people were present for the event at Trinity United Methodist Church, which included a buffet dinner followed by a live and silent auction.

The auction featured 530 items, including gifts from local businesses, sports memorabilia, television and movie items, gifts from entertainers, political items, and other unique items.

"We really had a good participation from our bidders, and we were able to surpass our expectations for our live and silent auction items this year," said Rebecca Tipton, a board member and the co-chairman of this year's event along with State Rep. Eddie Yokley, D-11th.

Several bidders in attendance said they were amazed at how the Boys & Girls Club was able to get items from so many people from so many different areas ranging from sports to politics to actors to local items.

"With 530 items up for bid this year, we were very pleased with the generous bids the club received," stated Ted Bryant, a Boys & Girls Club board member and a vice president of Summers-Taylor, Inc., a co-Title Sponsor of the event.

"It was due to the hard work of all the club staff and volunteers to put this show together," he added.

"We did not know how the event would go, based on the current slow economy, but the great people of our community really stepped up to make our event a success and help our children."

The top-selling item was a framed artist's proof of the downtown Tipton's Cafè, signed by local artist Ben Clark and framed and donated by Josh Swatzell of Oak Tree Gallery. The large framed artist's proof brought $850.

A framed, autographed picture of Chicago Bulls basketball great Michael Jordan, also donated by Swatzell, went for $575.

First Tennessee Bank's Astros suite for the August 22nd game went for $450, a Volvo donated by Gabe and Jessica Inscore went for $450, and a dual-signature picture signed by both Archie and Peyton Manning brought $375.

Other items that garnered interest included the following:

* two handmade end-tables, custom made by Tom Dubois, went for $325;

* a Ronald Reagan autographed magazine donated by Swatzell brought $325;

* a Pat Summitt framed artist proof by Ben Teter went for $300;

* a Ronald Reagan autographed Presidential inaugural invitation donated by Swatzell went for $300;

* and two magazines, both autographed by Peyton Manning, went for $275 each.

Going for $250 each were a baseball signed by San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays, a University of Tennessee football autographed by Coach Derek Dooley, and a framed picture of UT's Thompson-Boling Arena donated by Bob Kesling.

Other items of great interest were a Pat Summitt framed picture, a Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson collector's football, a UT Neyland Stadium framed print, a table and chair set donated by MECO, a three-night stay at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a three-night stay at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, a Peyton Manning framed print, several pieces of antique stoneware donated by Chris & Nicki Sentelle, a Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Quillen print, a Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo-autographed picture, a New Orleans Saints football autographed by Sean Peyton, a football autographed by NFL Hall of Famer Steve Largent, and a cabinet and desk donated by Staples.

Also, bid upon were an overnight stay at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, a Carson-Newman football helmet donated by Ken Sparks, a two-night stay at the Sleep Inn in Sevierville, President Andrew Johnson collectible items, a Dale Murphy autographed bat and glove, a shadow box of election buttons, a golf package to Graysburg Hills Golf Course, embroidered UT golf shirts donated by Mike and Nata Jackson, a framed print of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, a two-night stay at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a weekend stay at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, S.C., a framed movie poster of "The Princess and the Frog" from Phoenix Theatres, a Carrie Underwood poster, and a Dale Earnhardt-autographed trading card donated by Everette and Vanda Scott.

Other auction items included: a strand of pearls from David Parker of the Jewelers Market, a jewelry box donated by the Sentelles, a Willie Mays-signed picture, an autographed cast picture from the TV show "Pawn Stars," a John F. Kennedy election coin, and a Presidential Inaugural invitation signed by Bill Clinton.

Event Chairman Yokley said, "We are very grateful that the Boys & Girls Club is able to get items from so many businesses and notables from around the globe and the great local and regional items that complement the auction. We could not have the event that we have without this most generous support."

Carla Bewley, president of the local Boys & Girls Club's board of driectors, thanked Scott Bullington, Bridget Jones, Cathy Osborne, Sangela Blue "and all the wonderful staff members of the club."

Bewley also thanked the many volunteers that helped pull items and helped with the check-out process, and Michael Knapp, Chris Oldenberg and the entire Trinity United Methodist "kitchen crew for the great food provided for the event."

Events such as the Celebrity Auction help to fund the local Boys & Girls Club activities and staffing.

The school year membership at the Boys & Girls Club is $5 per child per school year and $90 for the entire summer program. The Boys & Girls Club is open to all school-age youth who reside in Greeneville and Greene County.

This year's event was title-sponsored by Forward Air and Summers Taylor. The other major sponsors of this year's event included C & C Millwright Maintenance Co., Inc., and RPC/ProCote as the dinner sponsors.

The bid tables were sponsored by Greeneville Federal Bank, the Greeneville Light & Power System, Randy and Carolyn Brown Capps, and Takoma Regional Hospital.

Other major sponsors included Andrew Johnson Bank, CE Minerals, DTR Tennessee, Everette "Scottie" and Vanda Scott, GreenBank, Josh Swatzell, Landair Transport & Distribution, Marsh Petroleum, Oak Tree Gallery, the Starr Law Office, Stowers Machinery, the Town of Greeneville and the United Way of Greene County.