Auction begins for Bearfootin' Bears: Find out how to bid and when the auction ends
Online bidding has started for the 2023 Bearfootin' Art Walk Bears, marking a third straight year the auction has been held virtually, and the event's organizer, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, is hoping for another record-breaking year.
The auction will culminate with a celebration during the final moments of bidding at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse Square from 4:30-6 p.m. Oct. 21 and after 6 p.m., the last of the winning bidders will be announced. Last year's auction set a record with $140,250 being raised, surpassing the old record of $102,400 set in 2021. A total of 63 bidders placed more than 239 bids in the 2022 auction.
Since 2014, the event has raised more than half a million dollars ($511,127).
According to Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, part of the proceeds from each bear benefit a local nonprofit. The first $3,000 of the winning bid is split with the organizing nonprofit, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, to sustain the event and support the overall Downtown Program. Any amount above the first $3,000 goes entirely to the designated nonprofit.
More: They're here: 20 Bearfootin' Bears unveiled for annual Bearfootin' Bear Art Walk
Attendees and bidders will meet the bears at the Oct. 21 celebration, which will feature live music and refreshments available for purchase from Mini Batch Bakery. According to a news release from Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, event hosts will guide participants through the evening, announcing incoming bids amid commentary and the opportunity to learn more about local nonprofit beneficiaries for each bear.
Bids for each bear start at $1,500. A "buy it now" price is available for $10,000, and as of Sept. 25, five of the 20 bears have been sold at the online auction at this link: https://www.accelevents.com/e/bearauction23#auction. Bidders can also submit bids by text message by texting 862-703-7960 with the bear's three letter code and bid amount (example: LSB1500).
Bidders who wish to buy the bear in advance should send an email to info@downtownhendersonville.org to secure a buy-now bear to pay with check in order to avoid credit card fees. The auction software sends a text confirmation of bids and a notification if outbid.
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Below is a list of the bears, their three-letter codes and the current bids as of Sept. 25:
Hope and Honeycrisp (HAH): Sponsor: Meliora House of Design. Artist: Andrea Martin. Beneficiary: Safelight Family. Starting bid: $1,500.
Lolly (LLY): Sponsor: Friends of Downtown Hendersonville. Artist: Abigail Buckman. Beneficiary: Friends of Downtown Hendersonville. Starting bid: $1,500.
Soul Seeker (SSR): Sponsor: Laughing Elephant Yoga. Artist: Miriam Hughes, Jenny L. Camp, Ramona Manea. Beneficiary: Safelight, Inc. Current bid: $2,000.
Lili SandBear (LSB): Sponsor: The Barn Volunteers of Connemara Farms. Artist: Susan Dawood. Beneficiary: The Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, Inc. Current bid: SOLD for $10,000.
Creativity (CRT): Sponsor: The Arts Council of Henderson County. Artist: Bethany Joy Adams. Beneficiary: The Arts Council of Henderson County. Starting bid: $1,500.
Blooming Kindness (BMK): Sponsor: Children & Family Resource Center. Artist: Phoebe Balcken. Beneficiary: Children & Family Resource Center. Current bid: SOLD for $10,000.
Strollin’ (STL): Sponsor: Etowah Lions Club, Hendersonville Lions Club. Artist: Cathyann Burgess. Beneficiary: NC Lions Inc. Brighter Visions. Current bid: $3,000.
Lovie (LVE): Sponsor: Edward Jones - Fletcher/Captive Minds - South Asheville/Heidi Ho On The Go Food Truck. Artist: Carol Clay. Beneficiary: Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue. Current bid: $1,500.
Homecoming (HMG): Sponsor: Hendersonville, NC Elks Lodge 1616. Artist: Effie Grigoropoulou. Beneficiary: Veterans Healing Farm. Current bid: SOLD for $10,000.
Home for All Seasons (HAS): Sponsor: Hendersonville Woman’s Club. Artist: Lisa Clark, Roseanna Coates, Liberty McMillan. Beneficiary: Aura Home Women Veterans. Starting bid: $1,500.
Beautiful Place To Serve (BPS): Sponsor: Bridge Church - Hendersonville. Artist: Elizabeth Pooler. Beneficiary: First Responder Ministries - Henderson County. Starting bid: $1,500.
The Spirit of Hendersonville (TSH): Sponsor: The Super Signguy. Artist: Dee Ballenger. Beneficiary: Hendersonville Family YMCA. Current bid: $1,600.
Blossom (BSM): Sponsor: Friends of Habitat. Artist: Kristie Grove. Beneficiary: Henderson County Habitat for Humanity. Starting bid: $1,500.
Clowning Around Bear (CAB): Sponsor: The Hendersonville Shrine Club. Artist: Callie Renee Annas, Martin Osteen. Beneficiary: The Shriners Children’s Hospitals. Starting bid: $1,500.
Seek the Joy (STJ): Sponsor: Schenck Family Conservancy. Artist: June Ellen Bradley. Beneficiary: Green River Preserve Scholarship Fund. Starting bid: $1,500.
Thriving in the Garden (TIG): Sponsor: Homestead, Moe’s Original Bar B Que, RE/MAX Results, Sherman’s Sports and Army Store, Looking Glass Realty. Artist: Amy Weinsoff, Diana Levenson. Beneficiary: Thrive. Current bid: $2,400.
Story Bear (STB): Sponsor: Mast Builder’s, LLC. Artist: Becky Bonnema. Beneficiary: Literacy Connection. Starting bid: $1,500.
Gemma (GMA): Sponsor: M. Hilton Swing, Broker | REALTOR©. Artist: Shayna Knapp. Beneficiary: Housing Assistance Corporation. Starting bid: $1,500.
Koda (KDA): Sponsor: BMW of Asheville. Artist: Laura Bell. Beneficiary: United Way of Henderson County. Current bid: SOLD for $10,000.
Buzz (BUZ): Sponsor: Hope Coalition Board. Artist: Alicia Eddy. Beneficiary: Hope Coalition. Current bid: SOLD for $10,000.
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Bearfootin' Bears auction: Find out how to bid and when bidding ends
