Inviting generousity
Ralph Sorenson | Community Visionary
It’s been said that we don’t find happiness through what we get; we find it through what we give. That’s certainly been Ralph Sorenson’s experience.
For 22 years, Killam’s Sorenson has been inviting people to participate in an annual charity auction that he organizes. Each year, citizens and businesses from across Flagstaff County respond to his call for donations to be sold or auctioned off. Others jump at the invitation to out-bid their neighbours and go home with a prize.
The biggest winners may appear to be the 20 or so charities that share in the proceeds, but this kind of thing nurtures community spirit, and that benefits everyone.
Like most homegrown initiatives, it started out small in 1996. “My wife Jean and I thought we would have a garage sale at our place and give all the money raised to charity,” says Ralph. They placed an ad in the paper that caught people’s attention, and donations of goods and money flowed in. That first sale made $900. “It was a great success and we were urged to do it again.”
“My wife Jean and I thought we would have a garage sale at our place and give all the money raised to charity.”
The next year, Ralph started asking area businesses to donate new goods for auction. He created an opportunity for business owners to give back to the community. They kindly obliged, and have continued to do so year after year.
“I collect from 200 businesses in about 14–15 towns,” says Ralph. “I never specify what they should be giving. I just say if they want to throw in something, we would appreciate it.”
This open arms approach invites plenty of variety — and surprises, on auction day. Men’s clothing, tools, litres of oil, cases of herbicide, collectable toys, birdhouses, household fixtures, tie downs, lounge chairs… The list reads like a department store catalogue and takes a team of three auctioneers about three hours to get through on auction day.
By all accounts it’s impressive. This year alone local charities split about $17,000 between them. “Every year the total has gone up,” says Ralph. “This was our best year.”
It may also have been the last.
“I’m starting to feel my age,” says Ralph, who will turn 92 on his next birthday. “I’ve been here my whole life. The community has been good to us and I enjoyed giving something back.”
He’s given back in spades… and countless hours, groceries, cake pans, truck tires, ice skates, picture frames…
