Chairs for Charity, a live auction featuring a diverse collection of hand-painted chairs, will take place in front of First National Bank in downtown St. Ignace Saturday, August 21, at 7 p.m.

The second annual auction will feature Adirondack chairs painted by local artists and businesses showcasing themes from the Mackinac Straits area. The proceeds from the auction will go to the St. Ignace Community Foundation and the Hope Chest food pantry.

Chamber of Commerce Director Janet Peterson said the chairs, which have been on display and in use in front of downtown businesses since June, not only improve the aesthetics downtown during the summer, but raise money for a good cause.

“It's a fun [event], and the proceeds are going to help with two great community nonprofits. The money stays local,” she said.

This year's chairs will showcase a variety of different themes, with chairs depicting the Mackinac Bridge, Round Island Lighthouse, Moran Bay, and other local attractions.

Yvonne Della-Moretta, who owns the Gold Mine in downtown St. Ignace, painted several chairs for this year's event. One of her chairs features a painting of the Mackinac Bridge, and another depicts a portrait of wood-burned birch trees.

“The goal of the event is to bring our local talent together so that people can enjoy their work [downtown] for a couple of months during the summer before the auction,” she said.

The live auction is always a lot of fun, she added.

“It would be enjoyable for people to come whether they plan to purchase a chair or not, to appreciate the local talent and see what's going on downtown. Plus, auctions are fun. The more people, the more bidding wars,” she said.

The event is hosted by the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce and the Business Association, and the wooden chairs were provided by Ace Hardware at a discounted price.