New focus. Same result. For the 29th year in a row thousands of dollars to benefit a local agency whose mission is to fight child abuse were collected on Saturday in the largest event of its kind in the area, the annual Child Advocacy and Parenting Services, or CAPS, auction.

The CAPS auction has traditionally been the biggest celebrity and sports memorabilia event of its kind in the area. It was a little bit different this year, though. The event moved away from focusing on celebrity autographed items. Though there were still some celebrity items, there were more donated items this year, things like concert tickets, group dinners, locally donated services, furniture, quilts, baskets, art, trips and more.

Though the focus was different, the results were the same. The bidding was fast and furious, with some items selling for a few dollars and others for thousands of dollars.

CAPS Executive Director Lori Blake told KSAL News that items bringing in the most money included:

• Kansas State University skybox tickets for four
• Estes Park ski trip
• Bunker Hill hunting trip
• 9th Street Diner dinner for four
• Relish and Robby’s Famous Cheesecakes at Marymount Properties
• Stan Lauer hand pieced, natural wooden butterfly wall hanging

Blake said that preliminary numbers indicate that $67,685 in cash was collected at the event. That number will be higher in a couple of days when all proceeds, including other donations and digital transactions, are tabulated.

The benefit auction is the single largest fund-raising event of the year for CAPS. It funds one tenth of the organization’s yearly budget and is a cash match for many state grants the organization depends on.

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