Blooming Prairie Education Auction Raises More Than $70K

A chance to play basketball with Carlie Wagner was one of the more unusual items up for bid Saturday night during the Blooming Prairie Education Association auction. That and a school bus.

The Blooming Prairie Education Association raises money to help support the school district. The event has been going on for more than 10 years and has raised more than $500,000. This year's fundraiser added more than $70,000 to that total. The auction was Saturday at the Pizza Cellar / Cue Company in Blooming Prairie.

One of the top items sold was an opportunity to play basketball with New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva graduate Carlie Wagner, who just completed a very successful freshman season with the University of Minnesota. The winning bid was $775.

Other items among the 150 items at this year's live and silent auction included a school bus, tickets to Minnesota professional team games and airline tickets to anywhere in the United States.

The auction has a history of gathering unique items. Last year, an Alice Cooper autographed guitar and a $100 bill signed by Warren Buffet were auctioned.