For the past 46 years, Rocky Mount Academy has hosted an annual auction in order to raise funds that go towards operating the budget and providing financial resources for our school. In the past, Rocky Mount Academy’s auction has been held at Nash Community College where many parents and RMA supporters gather together and celebrate, raising money for the school everyone loves. Due to the current pandemic, however, an in-person auction could not take place. The auction committee had to improvise and get creative on how to raise sufficient funds by using a virtual method. 

To begin, Joy Chafin, auction committee chair, and her committee went out into the community hoping to get individuals and businesses to sponsor the auction. At the same time, they collected items for the auction itself. Before the actual auction began, the committee had raised $59,000 in sponsorships and obtained 179 items to list on Bidpal.  

           On February 4th at 6pm, the auction went live, and many eager bidders began bidding on a wide variety of the donated items and packages that ranged from gifts certificates to tropical vacations. At the end of the auction, the most profitable packages were a full orthodontic treatment by Miller Orthodontics, a getaway weekend in historic Bath, a progressive dinner in West Haven, front row seats at RMA’s graduation, and a long weekend on the Pamlico River. 

          Another major part of the auction, in addition to the items auctioned off, is the annual raffle where the winner receives either a $5,000 cash prize or one year’s tuition at Rocky Mount Academy. This year, 350 raffle tickets were sold at $75 for a total revenue of $26,250, making it the highest grossing raffle in the history of Rocky Mount Academy. 

            Rocky Mount Academy would like to thank everyone who donated to and supported this year’s auction, but especially Joy Chafin, the auction committee, sponsors, and donors. Without everyone’s support and hard work, this year’s auction would not have raised approximately $125,000. People like you are what make Rocky Mount Academy such a special place. Thank you, thank you, thank you.