For the last 74 years, the Hopkinsville Rotary Club has been using its annual auction to support the youth of Christian County — doing its part to change the trajectory of local students by providing open opportunities for growth and learning.
During Tuesday’s meeting at the Hopkinsville-Christian County Boys & Girls Club, 75th Annual Auction Chair Landan Stallons received not one, but two, standing ovations from the crowd — as he announced this year’s anticipated auction theme: “75 Years: Financing Our Future.”
A vice president of commercial lending for Planters Bank, Stallons stressed that it’s “already time” to start gearing up for this year’s efforts — which kick off the week of April 21.
Following in President Kelly Gates’ footsteps, he said, would be difficult, after she and the club raised more than $560,000 last year.
And he almost didn’t take chairmanship.
Stallons also noted that “one makes time for what’s important.” And, thus, this made his list.
Since the auction’s inception, Stallons said more than $11 million had been generated and diverted to several avenues in Christian County, including student loans, scholarships and programs like Rotary Scholars, Rotary Impact and the Hopkinsville Rotary Foundation.
Thanks to Hopkinsville Rotary’s auction, Stallons added more than 1,700 students have been nudged through Hopkinsville Community College free of charge — unencumbered from the typical debts of higher education.
Stallons also offered a pair of nods to his family.
The first, to his wife:
And the second, to his two boys:
The auction’s final day: April 26. The War Memorial Building’s renovation, officials said, will be complete in time to once again serve as the headquarters.
