The online auction will be one day only this year beginning Friday, May 7 at noon and will close on Saturday at 1:30 pm the next day

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Beloved auctioneer Joe Gates may have left Earth too soon after being hospitalized for COVID-19 last year but his 30-year legacy as May Fair auctioneer will continue through the hearts of his friends who just pulled together an impromptu dinner and raised $5,000 to give to Dixon’s Bids for Kids.

The organization that helps inspire students into farming was close to Gate’s heart, who was always making livestock auctions more like an entertainment show than an animal sale that helps students throughout Solano County with their costs of raising animals. He surely bolstered bids most of those years by his larger-than-life personality, a love for the Ag community, and an uncanny ability to remember students in detail from year to year.

“He was the kind of guy that knew the kids from talking to them and he would stop the mic and add his personal touch, sharing the stories behind the kids,” explained Bids President James Fuller. “You felt you were not buying the animal; you were supporting the student. He was such an incredible guy.” Fuller was thrilled with the donation news from Gates’ friends and knows that may soften the disappointment of not having a live auction at the Dixon May Fair.

The group was forced to galvanize their online auction skills last year when the state prevented any auction on fair grounds due to the pandemic, but that only made their commitment to help students even more heartfelt and last year’s auction was highly successful.

“The reality is we don’t have the tradition of the fair and the fun and excitement of the live auction this year but the kids are working no less hard,” said Fuller. “They are still putting in the work for their animals.” Fortunately, some restrictions have lifted enough allowing the May Fair and BidCal, an auction company, to have the animals on premise and graded for showmanship. Students will be bringing their animals on Thursday and Friday mornings.

The online auction will be one day only this year beginning Friday, May 7 at noon and will close on Saturday at 1:30 pm the next day. The organization either bids to boost the price up per pound, or they actually purchase the animal.

“That’s when the excitement continues because if your animal is bid up, they put an additional five minutes on the clock for more time (for someone to respond,)” said Fuller who bids each year. “I buy for us and the family and we have it cut and wrapped.”

If someone buys an animal, he will get an email that will outline the steps to sell back to a butcher or be custom wrapped with numerous options so that information will be communicated, Fuller explained.

“Bids for Kids has seen the generosity of the community come through but we are always looking for donations via memberships or sponsorships,” he said. For more information, see their website BidsforKidsSolano.org.