Bowling Green native Barry Jones didn’t go to the Holiday Bash at the National Corvette Museum for the celebrities or food.

“I’m here to support Bowling Green,” said Jones, who went to the event for the first time this year.

He said he looked forward to the live auction and benefitting charities.

“Money going somewhere. It’s gonna be good,” he said.

Jones said his friends told him about the event and that he had his eye on some of the Disney Packages.

The Holiday Bash provided patrons assigned numbers instead of revealing their individual names.

Jones said he had been to auctions that required people to use their names, and he didn’t like it.

“I really like the number system with the silent auction,” he said.

After checking in with the WKU Alpha Omicron Pi volunteers, patrons such as Jones were free to roam tables. Twenty-two charities benefited Friday night at the sold out Holiday Bash.

During the silent auction, those who purchased a ticket to the event had a number and could place a bid on an item.

Charities receive 100 percent of the proceeds from tickets sales and auction items.

Each charity had tables set up with various items up for bid. Items up for bid included everything from gift baskets to autographed guitars to sporting event suites to catered BBQ. Guests were treated to live music by vocal group Pearl Heart.

Elizabeth Madariaga of Bowling Green said this was her second year at the event.

“It is important to show support for local charities,” said Madariaga, who is associated with Hope Harbor.

Last year Madariaga won a Hot Rods baseball suite and this year she was bidding on anything that caught her or her husband’s eye.

“This is a really good chance to socialize with other supporters of Hope Harbor and the other charities.”

Rebecca Solofra, a junior at WKU, said that she volunteered last year and was happy to come back.

“It is really important to raise money for non-profits,” she said. “Knowing that I’m helping kids is a great feeling.”

Fellow junior Morgan Cornelius said that the Holiday Bash was a great and fun way to earn money for juvenile arthritis, AOII’s philanthropy organization.

Kelly Jenkins of Boys and Girls Club in Glasgow said this was a grade A event.

Jenkins said it was the club’s second year at the event, that they had been asked to attend last year and they wanted to come back.

“We raised over $10,000 last year,” she said.

The club is hoping for $15,000 with auction items like trips to Cancun and Shell Island.

“We all need to support each other,” she said.