The hospital is probably one of the last places a child wants to spend the holidays, but Christmas came a little early at Scottish Rite for Children.
"Y'all ready to have some fun?" Texas Auctioneers Association President Doak Lambert asked the patients and parents gathered to bid on toys, numbered 'paddles' in hand.
For more than 20 years, the Texas Auctioneers Association has been holding holiday gift 'auctions' at Scottish Rite, to the delight of many of the children who are in the hospital for the holidays. This is their first year back since the pandemic.
"Do you think I'm gonna get it?" 5-year-old KJ Johnson asked his auctioneer helper. "I think I'm going to aim for the purple stuffie and the shark."
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Auctioneers fast-talked their way through bidding, with 'prices' jumping from $500 to $1 million.
"You just see their eyes light up when they get to bid," Lambert said. "We throw out crazy numbers, you know? We're bidding 1 million dollars on a toy! I wish I could get some of these kids to my real auctions. They're very enthusiastic bidders!"
Johnson kept his 'paddle' up, 'bidding' on the toys that caught his eye. "Am I getting it?" the excited 5-year-old asked before he won the bid. "Yes, yes, yes!"
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"It's a great feeling to be able to bring a smile and joy to that young person's face," Lambert said.
"It makes such a difference for our children," Scottish Rite for Children Vice President of Development Stephanie Brigger said. "Especially those kids that are here during the holidays on our in-patient unit."
"And to be able to give them something to laugh at, something tangible that they can say, 'I won that!'" Johnson's mom Melissa Johnson said.
That is priceless.
