Wadsworth chamber raises $12,000 through Easter basket auction

WADSWORTH — Wadsworth Area Chamber of Commerce raised $12,000 for local student scholarships through Wednesday's 27th annual Easter Basket Scholarship auction. The auction took place during the chamber's monthly luncheon at the Galaxy, 201 Park Center Drive. Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice and Wadsworth Police Chief Dan Chafin returned to auction off 60 Easter basket bundles in 60 minutes, with items ranging from escape room passes, golf outings and a Blackstone grill. Funds raised through the auction support the chamber's scholarship program for Wadsworth High School graduating seniors. Chamber Executive Director Janie Parish said the scholarships support students pursuing business degrees or vocational education. "We have a committee of our board members who worked on putting this together," she said. "We'll select the scholarship winners. I think that once you get a scholarship, you never forget it. Our goal is to create these scholarships. They are $1,000 and one is $1,500, but we want the students to know we are behind them." Grice and Chafin said the event is special because the funds raised stay in the community and have an impact on student's lives. "Anytime you can help out kids, it is something to be involved in," Grice said. "It's a worthwhile cause. It's $12,000 that goes right back to Wadsworth City Schools." Chafin said Parish and the chamber are so involved in the community and it's great to get the opportunity to help them out while having fun along the way. "Policing is a very serious profession almost all of the time," he said. "It is a nice opportunity to come out here and have a partnership between the agencies, the community, get some laughs and hopefully raise some money for a really good cause. It is nice to be out in the community in a different environment than what we are normally used to." Grice said the auction creates a fun interaction with the community. "It's low key, it's fun, people are laughing and they know it goes towards a very worthwhile program," he said. Both Chafin and Grice said they always come away from the auction with more respect for auctioneers. They said they could not do it alone, but they have fun working together. Parish said the auction has been taking place since 1996 and has grown to be a huge community event, bringing businesses and organizations together to support local students' futures. In total, the chamber has raised $164,000 for Wadsworth students over the years. "It has been so well supported over the years," Parish said. "We'll do it again next year. We so appreciate not only the people who donate, but the people who buy and bid too." Contact reporter Patrick Rhonemus at (330) 721–4050 or prhonemus@medina-gazette.com.