By David Haerle

The Daily World

The Hoquiam Elks Club held something of an impromptu auction prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday, Aug. 22.

About 20 bidders gathered — socially distanced and many wearing masks — in the back parking lot of the lodge as Hoquiam Elks officials auctioned off dry goods and frozen foods from the club’s food service pantries.

Some of the items auctioned off and the final bids were:

■ A No. 10 can of Nalley’s chili — $9

■ 5 lbs. of butter chips — $15

■ A bucket of mustard packets — $5

■ A box of Coffeemate creamers — $3

■ A box of 40 chicken taquitos — $20

■ A 5 lb. bag of chicken strips — $18

■ A 5 lb. roast beef — $32

■ A 5 lb. boneless ham — $19

With service clubs across the state unable to host their usual social gathering and sell or serve food, the Elks are among those seeking ways to make ends meet.

“We’re trying to stay afloat due to the pandemic without a lot of the things we normally do here” (to raise money), said Diane Kaczmarczyk, lodge secretary. “We’ll use the money to pay the utility bills and things like that.”

At this time, the club’s only revenue generator is the few RV spots behind the lodge that are sometimes rented out to traveling Elks club members from around the state and nation.