Annie (from left), Janie, and Gracie McKee take a break Saturday, August 22, on two of the decorated chairs before the chairs are auctioned off. Parents Pat and Patty McKee, who own a home in Brevort, ended up buying one of the chairs at the auction. A total of $2,865 was raised through the sale of chairs, and proceeds will benefit HOPE Chest charity and resale shop and the Legacy House women's shelter. Thirty chairs painted by local artists were auctioned in the parking lot of First National Bank in St. Ignace Saturday, August 22, raising $2,865 for two area charities.

After expenses for the event are paid, the remaining money will be split between Legacy House, a local women's shelter, and the HOPE Chest charity and resale store.

Auctioneer Charlie Fowler of St. Ignace drew in a crowd during the sale, with winning bids for the wooden Adirondack chairs ranging from $40 to $275. The highest bid was from Jim Scott of St. Ignace, who received an award designed by Yvonne Della-Moretta, co-owner of the Gold Mine jewelry store in St. Ignace and one of the artists who painted chairs for the auction.

Auctioneer Charlie Fowler (from left), high bidder Jim Scott, and artist Yvonne Della-Moretta pose with "Mackinac Morning," which received the highest bid at $275 during Saturday's auction. A total of $2,865 was raised for charity through the sale of the chairs. For the award, Mrs. Della-Moretta made a pendant in the shape of an artist’s palette with colored stones as the paint circles, which was planned to go to the artist who painted the chair that received the highest bid. Since Mrs. Della-Moretta painted the winning chair depicting the Mackinac Bridge at sunrise, the pendant was given to Mr. Scott.

Chairs were displayed at businesses this summer, to be enjoyed by people strolling downtown and to generate interest in the charity auction.

A crowd gathers in the First National Bank parking lot in downtown St. Ignace to participate in the "Chairs for Charity" auction Saturday, August 22. Auctioneer Charlie Fowler sold all 30 chairs during the event, raising $2,865, proceeds from which will go to two local charities. Janet Peterson from the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce said the event, in its first year, went well, although some adjustments, like setting a more specific time for the auction, could be made if they do it again.

"Overall, I think it went well," she said. "People had a good time."

Whether the event happens again next year depends on the willingness of artists to paint chairs again, she noted.

"There have got to be other creative people out there who are interested in doing it," she said.