Ligonier Valley Historical Society's first online auction features Valentine's Day theme

Staff at the Ligonier Valley Historical Society are hoping bidders will love the organization’s “Spread the Love” online auction.

The society’s first venture into online bidding, the Valentine’s Day-themed auction will run Jan. 30 to Feb. 13 and is meant to help make up for a traditional in-person Christmas fundraising event canceled because of a staff member’s potential covid-19 exposure.

“We had to cancel it at the last minute,” society Executive Director Theresa Gay Rohall said. She noted the annual Festival of Lights already had been reimagined as an outdoor Christmas market, without its normal gala, because of restrictions on gatherings during the covid-19 pandemic.

“It would have had a silent auction,” she said. “It had a lot of Christmas items in it. We took those out and worked the things that looked more Valentine-y into an online auction.”

Auction packages up for bid include romantic dinners, jewelry and sports memorabilia. Pittsburgh sports enthusiasts can bid on a lot including a book by Andrew Conte, “Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rebirth,” and two hockey sticks signed by Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke.

“I’m really excited about ‘Make Sparks Fly,’ ” said Rohall. She explained the winner of that item will enjoy a date for two in the blacksmith shop at the society’s historic Compass Inn in Laughlintown.

The couple will receive items made by local blacksmith Ed Appleby, and “he’ll help them each make a piece in the blacksmith shop,” Rohall said. “There will be food and drink. It will be a fun date night out.”

The auction also features a package of gift cards from more than 17 Ligonier merchants offering items and services, including food, clothing, pet supplies and hair styling.

“We tried to get a good selection to appeal to everyone,” said auction committee member Allana Kondisko of Ligonier Borough of the gift cards. “They have a year to use them. They can shop to their heart’s delight.”

Fundraising supports about 30% of the society’s budget, and the Christmas event normally is a major part of that effort, Rohall said.

She’s hopeful the new auction will help recover at least part of that lost revenue. With less than 20 packages offered, she said, “We felt that we wanted to get our feet wet.”

Spread the Love will be held through charityauctionstoday.com, an online platform the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra used this fall when it transitioned its auction fundraiser to a fully web-based version, “Musical Mask-querade.”

When she set up the society’s auction, Rohall turned for advice to WSO Executive Director Endy Reindl, who volunteers at Compass Inn.

“It was a great opportunity,” Reindl said of the WSO auction, which previously was held in person with an online bidding component. “We have used online bidding in the past, but this time we doubled down,” he said, noting the auction generated “very close results, only about 5% off,” compared to previous auctions.

WSO also moved its current concert season online.

Visit the historical society’s Facebook page for information about its auction. Rohall said the society is contemplating a second online auction for this spring that would include artwork.

While a date has yet to be set for the beginning of Compass Inn’s 2021 season of tours and programs, Rohall said the historical society is open 9 a.m to 5 p.m. weekdays to assist with research. The society can be reached at 724-238-4983.