ORANGE — Following the $30,000 Athol-Orange Community Television raised during its annual auction last year, the nonprofit is hoping for another successful event, and its director is looking to individuals and businesses for help.
“Let’s celebrate AOTV’s 23rd annual local TV auction and make it bigger than ever,” said AOTV Executive Director Carol Courville. “Last year businesses and individuals donated over 600 items. Thousands of people tuned in to AOTV and WVAO 105.9 FM.”
The nonprofit, which provides community broadcasting of local politics and programs in the North Quabbin region, will be holding its auction on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 starting at noon. The auction will be shown live on AOTV and on www.aotv13.org, as well as broadcast on the radio at WVAO 105.9 FM.
But to make it all work, people need to donate, and all donations are tax-deductible, Courville said. Donations should be either new items and merchandise — recommended to be more than $25 in value — gift certificates to local businesses or restaurants or food and beverages.
“It is scheduled for just before the holidays and designed to bring maximum exposure for your business,” Courville said. “Donors will be mentioned by name several times on air during the course of the telephone bidding.”
There are also incentives to donate items of greater value, Courville said. Donated items of a retail value of $250 or more received by Nov. 9, or of $50 or more and received by Oct. 31, will garner more on-air publicity for the donor during the auction.
Courville said the money raised during the auction helps the organization continue to deliver quality programming to the area, supporting “our equipment needs and programming efforts.” In 2017, AOTV contributed nearly $2.1 million of production services to the community, Courville said.
“AOTV provides the training and equipment which helps our volunteers record, produce and broadcast a variety of local programming, which includes municipal meetings, graduations, high school sports, talk shows, the River Rat Race, the Food-a-thon, music, poetry and comedy,” Courville said.
To donate or get involved, and for more information, contact Courville at 978-249-4470 or carol@aotv13.org. Businesses may also contact AOTV to become a corporate sponsor of the event, with name and logo displayed during the auction.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.