29th Southport Fireman’s Auction one of the best
Fire Chief Gerry Gamage points to a bidder during Saturday’s annual auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Seated in chairs set up in the road in front of the station are auction goers. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Bruce Joule listens to a customer ready to buy a lamp. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Rob Cronk tests out a chair during the second hour of the yard sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Customers check out the items at the yard sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A customer finds some rope. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
The school volunteers prepare the breakfast sandwiches. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
School volunteer Roosevelt “Robo” Bishop fries eggs. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A wedding dress ... “Kind of like Hussey’s General Store,” said Fire Chief Gerry Gamage on Saturday. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A paddle for a boat. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
These Southport School students, Fiona Bishop, Kayla Watts and Jessie Ullo, thought the yard sale was lots of fun. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Susan Mitchell looks over the auction furniture. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Jane Williams tends the money at the school sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Firefighters set up the chairs for the auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Smith Climo, left, and Clayton Pottle take care of handing out bid cards and recording sales. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
This fire truck was sold! KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Fire Chief Gerry Gamage sets up the microphone and speaker before the auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Adam Harkins holds up a handmade bench for people to bid on. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Former Southporters Dee and Howard Wright – now residents of East Boothbay – enjoy their breakfast sandwiches while waiting for the auction to start. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A future auction bidder? KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Fire Chief Gerry Gamage points to a bidder during Saturday’s annual auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Seated in chairs set up in the road in front of the station are auction goers. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Bruce Joule listens to a customer ready to buy a lamp. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Rob Cronk tests out a chair during the second hour of the yard sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Customers check out the items at the yard sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A customer finds some rope. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
The school volunteers prepare the breakfast sandwiches. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
School volunteer Roosevelt “Robo” Bishop fries eggs. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A wedding dress ... “Kind of like Hussey’s General Store,” said Fire Chief Gerry Gamage on Saturday. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A paddle for a boat. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
These Southport School students, Fiona Bishop, Kayla Watts and Jessie Ullo, thought the yard sale was lots of fun. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Susan Mitchell looks over the auction furniture. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Jane Williams tends the money at the school sale. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Firefighters set up the chairs for the auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Smith Climo, left, and Clayton Pottle take care of handing out bid cards and recording sales. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
This fire truck was sold! KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Fire Chief Gerry Gamage sets up the microphone and speaker before the auction. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Adam Harkins holds up a handmade bench for people to bid on. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Former Southporters Dee and Howard Wright – now residents of East Boothbay – enjoy their breakfast sandwiches while waiting for the auction to start. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
A future auction bidder? KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register
Southport Fire Chief Gerry Gamage, sitting on the roof of the fire station and acting as auctioneer (“I’m not an auctioneer,” he reiterated) on Saturday morning, said he sees the annual Carl C. Pierce Fireman’s Auction more as a “community event” than a fundraiser. Saturday’s event was the 29th annual and Gamage said that during that time, over three quarters of a million dollars had been raised to help with the town’s and department’s budgets.
Before commencing calling for bids, he told the story of a recent call where department members responded and found a woman in bad shape. Gamage pointed out that department member Adam Harkins went to work administering CPR and brought the woman back and “that she is still with us today.” The announcement brought a rousing round of applause from the dozens of people gathered in the road and in the school parking lot across from the station.
On Monday, Gamage said just over $20,000 was raised, despite the slow start to the auction. For three hours before Gamage climbed up on the roof – a makeshift platform new this year due to the chief’s exposure to COVID recently – bargain hunters scoured the grounds and inside the fire station during the yard and garage sale. The kids were proudly displaying their “inexpensive treasures” to their parents after paying $1 or so from the garage sale.
Three of the power boats up for auction and on display in the school lot were sold, as was the department’s 1987 engine, which has been replaced by a newer model. “Some of the boats were fixer-uppers but I guess we didn’t have any fixers in the crowd,” said Gamage.
During the event, school staff and volunteers made and sold breakfast sandwiches – adding to the community portion of the gathering.
Gamage commended his department members and other volunteers for their work in getting the event set up and running smoothly.
“It’s a good crew and we even had some junior firefighters helping out again this year,” said Gamage. “In addition, we had people helping with traffic control, getting things cleaned up and making sure everyone was safe.”
Gamage said the department is able to donate leftover items to other organizations, while other items are always destined for the trash heap.
“We would rather not throw things away but some of the items were not worth saving.”
