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From Sound Rivers

(Washington, N.C.) Vacations, adventures, paintings, pours and paddles — river-lovers are raising the bar on Sound Rivers’ annual auction.

“It never fails to amaze us how generous our auction donors are,” said Sound Rivers Executive Director Heather Deck. “The auction just keeps getting better every year.”

In keeping with Sound Rivers’ work, many of the donated items are river-related — coolers for the boat, a kayak, driftwood sculpture, a beach getaway, a guided fishing trip, a mountain rafting excursion, fishing rods and ties — but it’s two Megalodon teeth that are attracting much of the attention. One measures 5 1/4 inches long; the other, 4 3/8 inches.

“The Megalodon teeth were found by some of our members and volunteers when they were scuba diving off the coast in October, and they decided to donate them for the auction,” Deck said. “We’ve never had anything remotely like them before.”

The virtual auction will be live until 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the night of the conservation organization’s 35th-annual Oyster Roast fundraiser in Washington. Traditionally held in person at the Oyster Roast, the auction went online in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, staff decided to keep it online so those not attending the signature event could bid from afar.

“It really allows our supporters throughout both the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds to participate in our biggest fundraiser of the year — even if they can’t be here in person,” Deck said.

Anyone interested can bid on auction items at auctria.events/SRAuction2022.

Founded in 1980-81, Sound Rivers is one of the oldest grassroots conservation organizations in North Carolina. Sound Rivers monitors and protects two watersheds, covering nearly a quarter of the state. With Riverkeepers on the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers, Sound Rivers’ mission is to preserve the waterways’ health and the health of the people who rely on them through science-based advocacy and environmental justice. For more information, visit soundrivers.org.