Valley City  (VCSU)  The 26th annual Valley City State University Scholarship Auction will be held Friday, May 21, at the Valley City Eagles Club. The cancellation of last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the “Better Together” theme for this year’s event. Attendees are encouraged to dress in VCSU attire to show their true Viking pride. Auction tickets are $60 each, which includes admission, two drink tickets, dinner and five chances to win $100 (need not be present to win).

“We are excited to be able to hold our scholarship auction this year. A few things will look different, but the fun will be the same,” said Kim Hesch, assistant director of advancement at VCSU. “With our record enrollment this past fall and spring, it is important that we have a successful auction. The Scholarship Auction is a collaborative effort of the VCSU Booster Board and V-500 Board with proceeds going directly to scholarships.”

The social hour and virtual silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. In order to make the event safer and allow for social distancing, the silent auction will be made available on the Handbid app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, participants can follow the prompts to create an account, then choose “VCSU Scholarship Auction 2021” from the list. Users can monitor their winning and losing bids from the dashboard, receive notifications when they have been outbid, and checkout within the app at the end of the night. Participants need not be present to win.

The evening will also feature popular raffle giveaways, the chance to purchase bottles of wine at the Mystery Wine Table and a new game, Spin the Wheel, for a chance to win a variety of gift cards and other promotional items.

The dinner will be served at 6 p.m. with live auction to follow at 7 p.m. This is an opportunity to bid on great items while contributing to scholarships, offering some financial relief for future and current VCSU students.

Auction items are currently being solicited for the event. Anyone wishing to donate an item can contact the VCSU Foundation office. As the event approaches, a list of silent and live auction items will be made available on the website.

For more information regarding the VCSU Scholarship Auction, to purchase tickets, or to donate an item, call the VCSU Foundation Office at 701-845-7203.