Advance reservations are now being accepted for Auction 2005, the annual goods and services auction sponsored by the Rockport Chamber of Commerce. This year’s live auction will take place on Saturday, October 8, between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and is being held at the Rockport Golf Club on Country Club Lane in Rockport. The event will also include a preview and silent auction, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Well-known area auctioneer Frank Kaminski will once again oversee the bidding for this year’s Rockport Chamber of Commerce auction. The price of admission is $10 per person in advance and $12 on the day of the event, and will include dinner catered by Sally’s Kitchen of Rockport. The event will also feature a cash bar. Auction-goers are strongly encouraged to make their reservations early for tables of ten.

Already more than 135 items, valued at over $35,000 collectively, have been donated by local artists, entrepreneurs and individuals. These include: original paintings by well known Rockport and Cape Ann artists Ralph Bush, John Caggiano, John Terelak, Ken Knowles, and others; vacation packages at a variety of New England resort destinations including Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, MA and Spring Street Inn in Newport, RI; specially catered dinners at Rockport seaside homes; courtside Celtics tickets and a baseball autographed by Boston Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler; tickets for theatres and other entertainment; certificates for dining, harbor cruises, and local shops; Tea for Two at the Ritz-Carlton Boston; a tandem skydive with Skydive New England, including instruction and a scenic plane ride; a deluxe weekend for two at Swissotel The Drake on New York’s Park Avenue; and a trip for two to Gloucester, England, including airfare and lodging. Auction organizers anticipate that over 150 items ranging in value from $50 to $3000 will be up for bidding at the live auction on October 8.

All those wishing to reserve their places at Auction 2005 are encouraged to contact Peter Webber or Zohreh King at the office of the Rockport Chamber of Commerce (telephone: 978-546-6575).