Bonnie Heater Brig. Gen. Jennifer Napper, the 7th Signal Command (Theater) commanding general, opens the bidding on a body pampering basket during the Garden City Chapter of Federally Employed Women’s annual Christmas Auction held Dec. 8 at the Gordon Club. Auctions are lively events. Anxious bidders wave their paddles in the air hoping to get their bid in before the last call from the auctioneer. The Garden City Chapter of Federally Employed Women’s annual Christmas Auction held Dec. 8 at the Gordon Club was no less exciting.

Brig. Gen. Jennifer Napper, the 7th Signal Command (Theater) commanding general, was the guest auctioneer. Assisted by the elf staff of FEW, the general auctioned off 100 items to an audience of 36 people.

The fundraiser now in its 15th year raised $1,200 for the Fort Gordon Christmas House, Safe Homes of Augusta and the Fort Gordon Fisher House. “We made $400 more than last year,” said retired Col. Mary Hammond, the Garden City Chapter of FEW president.

Some of the items on the bidding block were a 10- year bottle of port [wine], a Harlem basket packed full of assorted gift certificates from businesses and restaurants in Harlem, Ga., as well as live plants grown in the town. In addition, there were porcelain dolls, 3-foot tall stuffed bears, lunch for two gift certificates from the Gordon Club, and spa certificates for facials, pedicures and massages.

“The generosity of people who donate items and the people who buy the items at the auction never ceases to amaze me,” said Hammond, the School of Information Technology’s chief of Training Support Division and deputy director. “So many people truly care about others,” she added. “Our Fort Gordon community and the people in our local FEW chapter truly do care. Our guest auctioneer did a great job.

“In addition, we collected 20 new, unwrapped toys for children staying with their mothers at the Safe Homes of Augusta,” explained Hammond.

The chapter, which meets every second Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Gordon Club, will be holding a business meeting there Jan. 12, 2010. Other upcoming events for the New Year in- clude: an equal opportunity program, massage therapy, rape crisis program and a visit by a FEW national officer to discuss legislative action on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

One of the pillars of emphasis in FEW is training, according to Hammond. “The Southeast Region of FEW will be holding its annual regional training program Feb. 10-12, 2010 in Pensacola, Fla.,” said Hammond.

“The training will consist of a compliance presentation on matters on legal aspects of the federal government programs, self defense and financial planning programs and tips on careers,” explained the Garden City Chapter FEW president. The national organization of FEW will be holding its annual training program July 2010 in New Orleans, La.

For more information about FEW call (706) 791- 7913 or visit the FEW Web site at www.few.org.