Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 12/01) - It was a not-so-silent auction at 40 Below recently.

The dark and smoky room was filled with casually-dressed patrons swigging back beer as the muffled sound of their conversations was often overridden by the dominating voice of a karaokee singer.

Behind the singer, a bench was loaded with numbered items and loose-leaf pages to write down the bids.

The auction items were graciously donated and the nearly $2,000 in proceeds were given to the Stanton Regional Hospital and both school districts' lunch programs. The auction items could be deemed slightly unconventional but fitting for the good-natured clientele that raised the money for the charities.

"The stuff we have is really off-hand stuff, which is what makes it so cool," explained Art Young, president of the NWT Rider's association who put on the event.

"Everyone wants a cord of wood."

Sitting in the corner of the bar, tucked away behind the unabashed, surprisingly talented karaokee volunteers, sat a gleaming orangy wheel barrow proudly on its one wheel and two back props.

"That's probably the best prize of all," Young said with a smile.

The auction was part of the association's "last putt before you freeze your butt" event.

The parking lot outside the pub was supposed to be filled with games, face-painting and motorcycle rides for kids but the pelting rain would not let up.

The activities in the first annual event therefore consisted of an adult's poker rally that morning and the silent auction in the evening.

President Young won the rally.

"How fitting," he said.

Fitting was the high number of bids on the auction sheet that promised a couple loads of gravel.

The no-nonsense bidders golfed in one corner of the bar, played darts and crib at the other side, or visited and watched the lyrics of the karaokee tunes dance across a TV monitor.

"The gravel is for driveways -- to fill in holes," Young explained. "Whatever you need it for."