The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum will host its first virtual event. This event is a Virtual Auction and bidding will begin on October 12 at 8:00 AM and end on October 17 at 8:00 PM. The 2020 Virtual Silent Auction will reflect the changes created by COVID-19. The social gathering of previous Silent Auctions will be replaced by an online bidding platform. Pictures of each item will replace the hands-on approach of the physical Silent Auction. Friendly, in-person bidding competitors can now bid with a click of a phone, tablet, or computer to update each bid. The Virtual Silent Auction will be sponsored by Charles Schwab of Greenville.
“Although we will miss seeing our friends and supporters, there are advantages to the online Silent Auction. We hope to reach bidders who might not live close enough to attend the Silent Auction in Commerce. For some this will be a more convenient way to bid. We will have items displayed at the Children’s Museum for anyone who would like to see them” said Becky Adams, co-chair of the event.
The Virtual Silent Auction will also celebrate one year for the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum at 100 Maple Street.” A year ago we were challenged with moving and opening a new building. Now a year later we are challenged with all the changes caused by COVID-19. It has been a tumultuous year for the Children’s Museum as well as so many others. The Virtual Silent
Auction will hopefully provide funds to meet these challenges”, said Beckey Thompson, also co-chair of the event. Bidders at the auction will find all kinds of items for bidding. Handcrafted, one of a kind items, have been donated by talented local people. Original artwork will be available for bidding. Other items will include floral arrangements, furniture, home accents, holiday décor, and jewelry as well as unique experience packages, and much, much more. Children’s experiences and items will also be a highlight. The event will be limited to 100 items.
Raffle tickets are also on sale for $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00. In addition to purchasing these from a member of the Board of Directors, tickets can be purchased online from the Children’s website at netxcm.com. There will be four $250 gift cards given to four different winners. These gifts cards have been donated by Cypress Bank, Inwood Bank, Guaranty Bank and Trust, and Alliance Bank. The drawing will be at 4:00 PM on October 17.
The museum is currently open to the public Wednesday through Saturday. Private groups can be scheduled Wednesday through Sunday. If scheduling a private group, no other visitors will be permitted to enter the Children’s Museum. Attendance is by reservation only for the morning session from 9:30 to 12:00 or the afternoon session from 1:00 to 4:00. Visitors can reserve their spot online at netxcm.com. Over fifty play areas for young children are open for creative and imaginative play.
The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum is beginning its eighteenth year of operation. The Children’s Museum experienced great success during the first 2 1/2 months of 2020 with over 8,000 visitors. Although the current COVID environment halted this growth, the Children’s Museum is looking forward to 2021. For questions, call the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum at 903-886-6055.