Brookhaven, MS – Gotta 15, do I hear 20? C’mon, let me see a 20. Yes sirree, I see a 20. Can I have a 25? There’s a 25. 25 going once. 25 going twice. Sold for $25 to this reader (if you want to go to the most fun event in town.) The Celebrity Dinner and Auction is upon us and a limited number of tickets are available.

Some beach, somewhere. That’s where you could be off to if you come to the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League’s Celebrity Dinner and Auction. There are three beach condo stays going on the auction block.

The 11th annual event will be held Tuesday, October 21st, at 6:00 pm at the Lincoln Civic Center. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

Event tickets are $25 and must be pre-purchased due to limited seating. Tickets are available at Engravables on the Boulevard, or by contacting BARL volunteer, Julie Montalvo, at 601-757-1057 or email info@barl.net.

Celebrity Waiters (business people and community leaders), will have their tables decorated in a theme to match their costumes, and each table will have a TIP jar waiting to be filled with money from guests.

If you can’t make it to the event, just mail in a check marked with the name of the waiter you want to support and the money will be added to the waiter’s TIP total, as they compete for the coveted “Waiter of the Year” prize.

Waiters currently signed up to participate in the fun include Dr. Nicolas Belk, ofBelk Ditcharo Dental, Dr. Ryan Case, of Brookhaven ENT Allergy & Facial Surgery, Becky Currie, of Mississippi House of Representatives, Dr. Ray Montalvo and David Culpepper, of King’s Daughters Medical Center, and Julia Pendley, The Daily Leader.

Other waiters will include Therese Apel and Courtney Cronin, of The Clarion Ledger, Tammy Estwick, of WAPT 16 News, Mickey Goff, of Franklin County Memorial Hospital; Melissa Faith Payne, of WLBT 3 News, Don and Sarah Underwood;, Roberto Bonilla, of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and Marlene Cupit, of Hurst Review Services.

Guests will enjoy a delicious buffet with food being provided by Cracker Barrel Barbeque, The Feed Mill, Heaven Sent Goodies and Poppa’s Fish House.

Mississippi artist, Wyatt Waters, will be a special guest at the annual event. His work has been featured in Art & Antiques, American Artist, Watercolor Magazine, Mississippi Magazine and Delta Magazine. His paintings are held in private and corporate collections.

In addition, Waters has published several books featuring his watercolor paintings, including An Italian Palate, which is his most recent collaboration with chef and restaurateur, Robert St. John.

Professional Auctioneer, Kendall Covington, will lead the live auction, while a silent auction takes place throughout the evening.

Several auction items are sure to be a hit with the sports enthusiasts, including Saints football tickets, an Ole Miss football signed by Coach Hugh Freeze and a Southern Miss football autographed by Ray Guy who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A few of the other autographed items will be Rookie Major League Baseball Cards of Hunter Renfroe (Padres), Corey Dickerson (Rockies) and Brent Leach (Dodgers).

Additional auction items will include condo rentals in Alabama and Florida, a year of car washes from Valvoline Instant Oil Change, a Vera Bradley Bag from the Finishing Touch and passes to the Jackson Zoo.

Many businesses donated gift certificates for services such as haircuts, pedicures and massages.

The auction will also feature original artwork, handcrafted game calls from Homochitto Hollow Woodworks and wheel-thrown pottery from Syntropy Creations.

Pet lovers are sure to find some auction items that catch their eye. PetSense has donated a dog gift basket, a cat gift basket and a dog igloo. A few other pet related items include a basket of Kongs, and grooming gift certificates from The Dog House and Classy Clips.

“Best in Show” sponsors signed up to date include Animal Medical Center, Bank of Franklin, Brookhaven Animal Hospital, C Spire Wireless, Dennis and Lea Barrett, First Bank and Franklin County Memorial Hospital.

“Pick of the Litter” sponsors committed at this time are as follows: Bank of Brookhaven, Boerner Law Firm, Brookway Dental, Emfinger Pumping, Franklin Ready Mix, Franklin Telephone, King Daughters Medical Center, Larkin Veterinary Clinic, Lincoln Civic Center, McGehee McGehee and Torrey, Pike National Bank, Sullivan Ford and The Inn on Whitworth.

BARL volunteers are selling tickets for some lucky person to win 50 gallons of gas donated by 84 Chevron, which will be given away the night of the event.

BARL’s mission is to humanely care for shelter animals while contributing to community activities that reduce pet overpopulation, encourage responsible pet ownership, protect public health and safety and promote the human-animal bond.

BARL is a non-profit, volunteer based, limited admission animal welfare organization serving Copiah, Franklin and Lincoln counties. BARL provides food, shelter and veterinary services for abandoned, orphaned and unwanted animals until they are adopted. All BARL animals are vet checked, vaccinated and spayed/neutered. Dogs are also micro-chipped.

Anyone interested in adopting, contributing or volunteering should contact BARL at 601-757-4367 or info@barl.net. Donations are tax deductible and may be mailed to BARL, P.O. Box 3477, Brookhaven, MS 39603.

Many of BARL’s adoptable animals may be viewed online at www.barl.net.