GLENDALE : Auction Raises Funds for Hospital Center

Checkered flags and a photo of Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana were among the hottest items sold at an auction that raised nearly $5,500 for Glendale Adventist Medical Center, officials said Friday.

“It was very, very good and very well accepted,” said Eunice Fletcher, chairwoman of the auction organized by The Guild of the Glendale Adventist Medical Center. “We sold everything but two items.”

The guild is a 125-member volunteer group that raises money for hospital equipment. Its auction was held Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, where the group also featured a fashion show and dinner that took in another $10,000.

Nearly 100 people, some from as far away as Sacramento and Bakersfield, submitted written bids for the 72 sports items. A checkered flag and photo signed by auto racer Rick Mears received 10 bids, the most from the auction, said Laura Thompson, the hospital’s director of community development.

Both the Mears flag and a similar one signed by racer Mario Andretti were sold for about $300 each, Thompson said. But a Joe Montana autographed photo valued at $150 was sold for $250.

Other popular items included basketballs signed by Magic Johnson and Lakers General Manager Jerry West and baseball memorabilia signed by Nolan Ryan and the late Don Drysdale.

Despite the state’s lackluster economy, Fletcher said she was pleased with the auction’s outcome.

“Most of the people really see the worthy cause of giving,” she said.

“And then, they get something for themselves, which is really nice.”