Easter Seals auction set for Friday and Saturday

SANDUSKY — The 26th annual Easter Seals auction will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Sandusky Mall. The event is co-sponsored by local radio station WLEC and the Sandusky Register.Around 250 items will be auctioned off, with six items being auctioned every 15 minutes. Money raised in the Easter Seals auction goes right back to the community to help the organization provide their services."The items range in everything from gift certificates, gift cards to restaurants and a four-pack Disney World trip," said Melissa Kocher, the Easter Seals' marketing and development vice president.[toutembed=cc666o]Other items include a variety of gift baskets, couches and tickets to Cleveland Cavaliers games.Participants don't need to be present to bid in the auction. "You can come out to the mall or call in through the radio (WLEC)," Kocher said.Clients of Easter Seals will be at the mall to tell stories of how the organization has helped them.Last year, the event raised more than $25,000."There's really a lot of community involvement and support," Kocher said.Easter Seals is a Lorain-based non-profit organization serving children and adults with disabilities and helping them gain independence, Kocher said.The organization loans out walkers, wheelchairs, and other items to children and adults within the community. They also loan car seats in to residents in Sandusky and Ottawa counties, including standard car seats to prevent disabilities and special car seats to help those with disabilities, Kocher said.Easter Seals hosts a summer day camp at the Bellevue Community Center, which allows children to enjoy outdoor activities. Since the camp is only a day camp, Easter Seals offers scholarships for residential camps that fit the child's needs.Watch Kocher's appearance on "Between the Lines," the Register's public affairs program, at sanduskyregister.com.Items are auctioned in the Sandusky Mall for the 25th annual WLEC/Sandusky Register Easter Seals Auction at the Sandusky Mall on Friday, January 29, 2016. The auction continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour break for lunch at 1 p.m.Items are auctioned in the Sandusky Mall for the 25th annual WLEC/Sandusky Register Easter Seals Auction at the Sandusky Mall on Friday, January 29, 2016. The auction continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour break for lunch at 1 p.m.A cake by Wendy Kromer Confections is on display for the 25th annual WLEC/Sandusky Register Easter Seals Auction at the Sandusky Mall on Friday, January 29, 2016. The auction continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour break for lunch at 1 p.m.