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The time has come again for the Rockingham Lions Club’s annual BBQ and Auction, which will be held Oct. 5 and 6 at the Lions Clubhouse in Rockingham.

According to Lion Secretary Keri Thayer, plate sales are already piling up.

“We’ve got over a hundred plates sold right now,” Thayer said, adding that 200 pounds of barbecue have been ordered.

This year, the barbecue will be cooked by Thayer’s father, Phil Knight, a friend of the Lions Club.

Plates will be sold for $7 a piece from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 5 and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 6. Orders of five or more can also be delivered, Thayer said.

On Oct. 6, the annual auction will follow at 7 p.m.

“We’ll have new and used furniture items,” Thayer said. “We also normally get donations from food vendors, gift certificates from local jewelers — things like that. Normally, we also get cases of tissue, oil and hydraulic fluid and more.

“The proceeds go to the Rockingham Lions Club to help support the visually impaired around the county,” she added. “It helps them with appointments, glasses … we have even helped with a couple of procedures.”

“We also support the Lions Foundation of North Carolina,” said Treasurer Neal Watkins. “Through that foundation, we help high school graduates who have a parent who is legally blind — we help them go through college. Last year the Rockingham Lions Club spent over $4,000 on persons with visual issues. That’s a lot for a little club.”

Before this year, Watkins said, the Lions Club saw most of its profit from the annual pecan sale, barbecue sale and auction. This year, the club is also planning two new fall events for the month of October, including a Golfball Drop and corn hole tournament.

“We’re really doing a lot this time,” Watkins said.

The Lions Clubhouse is located on Highway 220 north in Rockingham.

For more information, contact 910-895-1112, 910-334-2050 or 910-331-7191.

— Staff Writer Mallory Brown can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at mallorybrown@heartlandpublications.com.