The annual Seaside Rotary Auction was a rockin’ good time Saturday night.

Several hundred Rotarians and supporters gathered at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center for the auction, with a special “Fund-a-Need” appeal to benefit efforts to spay and neuter the county’s pets.

“Caring communities include our four-legged friends,” state Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, said. “Rotarians are an integral part of cities and towns and communities that make a difference, and that’s what we’re doing here tonight.”

The theme of the annual dinner and auction was “Let’s Go to the Hop,” and guests entered the center sporting bobby socks, leather jackets, penny loafers and bowling shirts. The Rev. Rob Sachs gave a “Wolfman Jack” howl, and an Elvis impersonator crooned and posed for photos with fans young and old. Seaside’s Sandy McDowall was the chairwoman for the event.

The audience was quick on the uptake with bidding paddles as auctioneer Rick Little fielded a steady stream of bids for everything from a commercial crabbing experience in the Columbia River to a week at an Irish cottage in County Kerry, situated on the Kenmare Bay as it meets the Atlantic.

A popular auction item was dinner with Rotary-sponsored exchange students at the home of Suzanne Deshon. The two winners will share an evening dining experience with Alina Habeggar from Switzerland and Seong Jin Kang from South Korea.

Little himself was awarded the club’s Paul Harris award, which recognizes his contributions to Rotary International. Owner of Poor Richard’s Auctions and Antiques in Tacoma, Washington, Little has been a part of the Seaside auction event since its inception.

The auction is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Seaside Rotary Foundation. Rotary sponsors scholarships and international youth exchanges, aquatic equipment for senior citizens with Sunset Empire Park and Recreation, Helping Hands to aid senior citizens, Seaside Kids and other causes. Rotary International supports Polio Plus to eradicate polio worldwide.

A big winner Saturday night wasSpay and Neuter Thrift Shop of Seaside,. The nonprofit organization, located along the Necanicum River, offers discount certificates for spaying and neutering of cats and dogs within Clatsop County.

“Back in the 1960s, there was a group of concerned citizens that started the North Coast Animal Haven,” shop volunteer Cheryle Barker said. “What they wanted to do was have a home for unwanted pets. In 1965, they started a little thrift shop in a shed. By 1973, they registered as a nonprofit organization. In 1980, they built the Haven in Gearhart.”

In 1988 the focus of the North Coast Animal Haven group changed to providing spay and neuter certificates to not just Seaside, Cannon Beach and Gearhart but also the entire county. That same year the small thrift shop moved from its shed to its current location at 600 Broadway in the historic Gilbert block. The shop now offers coupons for spay and neutering, as well as gently used and repurposed items. All those who work at the thrift shop are volunteers. In 2014 they were able to fund 970 certificates at a cost of $29,100.

“Our goal is to be able to increase the amount of our discount certificates, so more people can afford to do the spay and neutering,” Barker said.

By the end of bidding, Johnson had helped raise nearly $8,000 for the thrift shop’s cause.