New Montgomery County Senior Center director Amy Bourne has never been to a paddle auction.

She will get that opportunity when she helps organize the Fifth Annual Senior Center Paddle Auction, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 30 at the Old Settlers Picnic Grounds in New Florence. All proceeds benefit the Senior Center, which serves senior residents in Montgomery County.

“With this being my first one and being involved in it, I’m really excited,” Bourne said. “We have several kids who are going to be coming out and helping out.”

Bourne has been the director at the Senior Center since November. She replaced Jill Burch, who retired as director after four years in November.
Burch helped run the Paddle Auction the last four years and plans to help out again this year, Bourne said. Jessica Fischer and Hannah Milleson of Senior Health Consultants will also help out at the event.

“There are quite a few things that they’re explaining to me, but they’re kind of handling it,” Bourne said. “I’ve gotten other help from the volunteers and stuff like that on selling raffle tickets and things of that nature. So I think we’re doing really good.”

The Paddle Auction began in 2021 as another fundraiser after the Senior Center held chicken dinners in the past. The first year was successful as the auction had more than 120 donations and raised $10,000. Last year, a total of 128 items were bidded.

Donations will be accepted until 4 p.m. on May 27. Bourne said more than 20 donations have been turned in.

In a paddle auction, participants have the option to purchase either an all-in paddle – which guarantees them an automatic prize if their paddles are drawn – or a regular paddle – which allows them to put a certain amount of quarters in a bucket, depending on the value of the item.

Bourne said she and her staff have been working on the paddle auction for about a month.

“We had the first meeting the month before that,” the director said. “It’s not quite two full months that we worked on it, but maybe a month and a half that we started working on it.”

The paddle auction is not the only event the Senior Center is planning on having this month. It is also holding a craft day at 1 p.m. on May 8 and a Veterans Coffee Talk‘event at 9 a.m. on May 16.

Bourne said her mother helps out at the Veterans Coffee Talk at the Auxvasse Community Center, giving her the idea of holding an event at the Senior Center.

“Since we have so many come here, I want to reach out and see if we could do something for them,” Bourne said.

Craft days will be held on the second Thursday of each month.

“I hope it will get a good turnout,” Bourne said. “They were asking if there was something that we could do. I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s go for it.’”

For more information on the paddle auction or other events, contact Bourne at 573-564-3224.