Auction to raise money for Batavia church

BATAVIA – From singing lessons to a Florida beach condominium rental, a variety of items will be auctioned off Saturday at the Congregational Church of Batavia's Good and Services Auction.

The auction will be from 6 to 10 p.m. at the church, 21 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31), Batavia. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Those who attend the auction will have the chance to bid on a number of items, including the rental of a condominium located on Lido Key Beach in Sarasota, Fla., one of the larger items in the auction.

A number of services also will be part of the auction, including adult voice lessons, piano lessons and yard and handyman services. A preview of some of the items that will be auctioned off is available at http://gael-image.com/church/2013-auction. More items will be added Saturday.

"It's a lot of fun for people to watch," church member Francine Popeck said. "You get bidding wars between tables."

Popeck and her husband, Bob, are donating a copy of the January 1958 edition of the "Saturday Evening Post" that featured on its cover a painting of skaters on the Depot Pond in Batavia. The painting was inspired by artist John Falter's visits to Batavia.

The Goods and Services Auction is a fundraiser.

"Our last auction netted about $9,000 for the church," Bob Popeck said.