Opinion: Community rallies around OPT TeleAuction

The early days of the auction were truly amazing. Too many volunteers have been involved over the years to mention names. I would surely slight some deserving people. At first, the auction was broadcast nine evenings.

Back then, it was said it took 1,000 volunteers, organized by one station employee, to solicit, collect and store in a warehouse thousands of donated items that had to be trucked in nightly to be sold on the air, trucked back to the warehouse to be paid for and picked up by the highest bidders.

Other volunteers built a huge set consisting of heavy tables on which to display merchandise. Equally heavy Plexiglas-covered boards were attached for workers to record bids as they were received. As well, a three-level stage was constructed to accommodate the 25 or so phone bank bid takers. Everything was constructed to be disassembled, stored and reassembled for the next auction.

Truth be told, the 1,000 volunteer number may have been a conservative estimate.

In its early days, the station was located on the Drury University campus, first in the old Navy Reserve Building, later in the Drury Shewmaker Communication Center. The department I chaired used its facilities to teach broadcasting courses. It followed that I would be involved with station activities. At first, I was just another auction volunteer helping raise money for OPT.

The early decision to use local people as on-air auctioneers was a good one. Locals were recognized on camera as auctioneers and workers. Audiences loved seeing their friends and neighbors on camera. It became an annual community event.

Documentary missed

Had all of those hours of past TeleAuction video footage been saved, a TV documentary could be produced creating a one-of-a-kind historical profile of the past 30 years in Springfield. Literally thousands of people from all walks of life would be seen working together for a common cause.

Because of the auction, many Springfieldians developed a sense of ownership in OPT. I had nothing to do with the creation of the auction; therefore, I can say without being accused of boasting that it was a brilliant strategy. Those volunteers formed the nucleus of the contributing membership for years to come.

My involvement began with filling in at one spot or another. Eventually, I was an on-air auctioneer; the board I worked had a feature called the Firehouse Quickie.

As the name implies, it was a wild, fast-paced four-minute live auction of gift certificates. For reasons beyond my grasp, I became associated with this genre; eventually, I was the Firehouse Quickie Guy, working each auction.

Queen of the TeleAuction

I said I wouldn’t mention names; however, I can’t leave out Alice Lowe. Over the years, she and I became the faces people associated with the auction.

Alice’s charming personality truly captivated TV audiences. She became known as the Queen of the TeleAuction. I have yet to understand why I became an auction staple.

Sadly, Alice passed away. I’m still here to carry on the tradition.

OPT has undergone many changes. It is now located on the Missouri State University campus. The auction has undergone many variations in time slots and formats. It is now a simplified, streamlined program aired two nights per year: one in the spring, the other during the holidays.

As a matter of fact, the Spring TeleAuction will be broadcast 7–11 p.m. March 31. Yes, the Firehouse Quickie Guy will come out of mothballs for a limited engagement.

Event Details

What: Spring TeleAuction to support Ozarks Public Television

When: 7–11 p.m. Saturday, March 31

Where: OPT, Channel 13

What: Bid on auction items from various local businesses; for more information, call (417) 836-3507

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.[[In-content Ad]]