The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce works day in and day out to help take care of its member businesses. That has never been more true than during this past 18-plus months of the pandemic. In addition, a unique characteristic of the businesses in Central Delaware is that they work diligently to take care of each other. Central Delaware is all about “Taking Care of Business!” That is why the CDCC has selected “Taking Care of Business” for this year’s Holiday Gift Auction theme. It’s time to mark your calendars for the last Wednesday of October and to start thinking about one of the CDCC’s biggest events of the year!

In another new first for the CDCC, this year’s CDCC Holiday Gift Auction will be held in person with a virtual option. From Oct. 15-21, shoppers will be invited to browse through over 100 items that have been donated by local member businesses. The auction will open for online bidding on Oct. 22 — bidding for the event will end during the in-person event on Oct. 27. To bid online, go here. The in-person event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 5 – 8 p.m. at Maple Dale Country Club.

As you will remember, our Holiday Gift Auction was held totally virtually last year. We are very excited to be bringing this event to you in person, but we learned that there are some definite advantages to continuing a virtual option. Allowing prospective bidders to participate online is likely to expand our reach, which will increase the marketing potential for those businesses that donate items. Just think — people from all over will know who you are and what your business has to offer! In addition, people will have longer to shop! The preview period will give bidders time to browse prior to their bidding participation whether it’s live or online.

In addition to our silent auction, we will again be presenting a live auction. The CDCC is pleased to bring back Steve Harrell, auctioneer extraordinaire, who will work hard to award items to the highest bidders. Bidders often plot ahead of time about how to spend their bids and sometimes team up with other bidders to share experiences. This lively portion of the event is always much anticipated and a lot of fun!

Our auction items are donated to us by a variety of local member businesses. The items are always of a high quality and give our shoppers an opportunity to purchase unique items for themselves or for the people on their holiday shopping lists. A wide range of items — from food to jewelry to clothing to experiences — provide a vast array of purchasing possibilities for our guests. This event is one of the ways we can support our member business – it gives us an opportunity to highlight their goods and services!

Mark your calendars for Oct. 27 and visit the CDCC website, after Oct. 1 for a link to register for the event. Whether bidding online, attending in-person, or bidding online and attending in-person, tickets for the event are $10. The Holiday Gift Auction is an event you will not want to miss!

Just imagine how easy your holiday shopping will be! You will be able to support our local business community, while doing your Christmas shopping — either live or online! Plans are still unfolding … keep your eyes peeled for more information, including instructions for how to participate, as details are confirmed. We look forward to bringing you this outstanding annual event!

Upcoming events

•Thursday, Sept. 30: The Amazing Chase in Downtown Dover, beginning at the Grey Fox Grille at 5pm.

•Thursday, Oct. 7: Kent County Open for Business, Kent County Levy Court – Room 220, 8:30-10 a.m.

•Wednesday, Oct. 13: Coffee Coaching, CDCC Conference Room, 8 – 9 a.m.