51st annual We Care Telethon will be broadcast through Sunday

Dec. 1—The Hope Doll is back in front of an audience, waiting to be auctioned off Sunday night.

The 51st annual We Care Telethon kicked off Friday evening. Most of the volunteers were too busy to cause a hubbub over the 6 p.m. start time — some had been in the warehouse, processing donations, since Monday.

An estimated 700-800 volunteers are expected to pick up shifts at the telethon this weekend, helping to auction off approximately 3,500 items.

Volunteers pointed out a few notable items viewers will be able to bid on throughout the weekend — paintings from local artist Mike Sears, a We Care-branded Doc's Diner miniature and a towering yellow rocking chair that served as a roadside landmark along U.S. 31 for years will be sold over the course of 48 hours.

The first auction lot included a Christmas quilt, a Snap On dart board and a painting of a snowman. 12 volunteers manning the auction's phones went over last-minute details before their phones started ringing.

They soon fell into a rhythm, starting each call with "We Care" and quickly calling out the newest bid on an item. Some of the more popular items, such as a Christmas ornament, jumped by hundreds of dollars per bid.

The first 12 items were displayed on air for 6 minutes — they brought in $1,455.

The nonprofit — which helps fund organizations like the Kokomo Rescue Mission and Goodfellows — had also received monetary donations before any of the items hit the auction lot.

"I think it's going really well," We Care President Becky Varnell said after the telethon's first half hour. "It always starts out smooth."

Looking around the warehouse of volunteers and donations, she added, "It's a good feeling."

The 48-hour telethon can be found online at wecareonline.org/telethon/, by tuning in to 100.5 WWKI or checking out Channel 2 on Xfinity. It is scheduled to run until 6 p.m. Sunday.

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.