WINDHAM – Stefan Keenan, a Windham resident and owner of South Portland’s Keenan Auction Company, is mustering all his auctioneering talents to help raise money for the Windham Primary School.

Keenan and his wife, Kelly, have spent about a month soliciting, collecting and processing all types of donations from the Windham community to be sold Saturday, Oct. 23, to raise money for the primary school’s supplies fund.

With the economy down and town leaders having to limit budget increases so as not to rile taxpayers struggling to make ends meet, the supply budget at the primary school was slashed by $45,000 this year. Principal Kyle Rhoads said school children aren’t “going without the necessities” but that the extras, such as paintbrushes, sheet protectors and binders, have mostly been cut.

“I don’t necessarily think we’re in a crisis,” Rhoads said. “We’re trying to make the best of the situation we’re in. I look at this (auction) as a one-time help to get us through. But it’s not like we’re running out of supplies; I don’t want people to think that. We’re OK now, we do have supplies, just not to the extent that maybe we’d like to have them.”

When Keenan heard about the district’s budget woes, he wanted to do something about it. Father of a primary school student, he talked with Rhoads several months ago to figure out where he could be of help. When he learned about the lack of supplies, Keenan took action the best way he knew how, by holding an auction.

“I thought it would be best to pick an inanimate object, so no one would be pinning their hopes on this auction. So we focused on the budget of the school supplies,” Keenan said. “I also thought it would resonate with people because when you go to school, you need pen and paper. And people have really responded. People have said, ‘We want to support that.'”

The community’s support has been tremendous, Keenan said. Since Saturday’s auction takes place in the cafeteria at the primary school, the Keenans have held two donation days so far with all kinds of donations, so much so that the stage overlooking the cafeteria tables is nearly full.

“We’ve received so far almost 40 gift certificates, cash donations over $1,000, and probably close to 200 items ranging from households goods to electronics, furniture, toys, books, bicycles, TVs and Christmas trees,” Keenan said.

Additional items such as hand-painted bookshelves and birdfeeders have been made by primary school students themselves, and will also be auctioned.

The outpouring of support up to this point hasn’t surprised the Keenans.

“I’m not overly surprised because I knew the community would be supportive, just through past experience,” he said. “We’ve really felt the community would come out, and they have. They’ve supported us well.”

But none of the donations made so far will mean much if no one shows up for Saturday’s auction. To donate something useable to the school, Keenan needs to convert the items into cash, and to do that, he’ll use his well-honed auctioneer’s voice to sell even the tough-to-move items.

“We’re really feeling optimistic. We’ve heard a lot of talk around town that people will be here, so we feel it’s going to be a good event, and there’ll be some dollars raised,” Keenan said. “But this will be a real auction. There will be a PA system, there’ll be a computerized accounting system, there will be bid numbers issued. Every item will have an inventory catalog number and lot number. It will be a real live auction.”

And if you can’t make it to the auction, the school will be glad to take cash donations anytime, Rhoads said.

“We’ve had a couple parents asking for what they can donate towards the supply list. We have a pretty big list of needed items,” Rhoads said. “We’re always looking for paper. Reams of photocopy paper.”

Rhoads explained that no teachers at the primary school have been cut this year. However, there has been staff reduction in terms of hours worked. Budget cuts for the primary school total $180,000 this school year, which includes the $45,000 cut in school supplies.

Rhoads is impressed with the Keenan family’s dedication.

“It tells a lot about the quality of people here in the district,” he said. “Just the act of having it, no matter how much money it raises, shows how much people care and that they’re all here for the kids and to support the school.”

Stefan, Brooke and Kelly Keenan await community donations last Saturday in anticipation of this Saturday’s live auction in the cafeteria at Windham Primary School. The Keenans brainstormed the auction to raise money for the primary school’s supplies budget, which was cut by $45,000 this year. (Staff photo by John Balentine)