The 30th annual Boonesboro Lioness Auction will also be its last.

The auction benefits Hospice East, which uses the proceeds to provide special experiences for its patients and their families in Clark and Powell counties as well as its bereavement programs.

Debbie Jones, executive director at Hospice East, said through their “wish fund,” Hospice East has provided patients with experiences they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

“There was a patient that always, him and his wife, went to Tennessee to see the Christmas lights,” Jones said. “So, we sent him and his wife and his kids to Tennessee for the weekend…

“And then there are smaller things. We have a patient, she wanted a perm. And so we arranged for the hairstylist to go there, and (staff) did her nails and just pampered her for the afternoon.”

Jones said the wish fund has also helped take patients to church, pay for meals at their favorite restaurant and more.

“It’s from big things to just small things that we take, what I say we take, for granted,” Jones said.

Last year, the auction raised $17,000 for Hospice East, and hopes to do the same, Jones said.

Since its start, the annual auction has raised more than $100,000 for patients at Hospice East.

This year’s auction begins at 6 p.m. April 12 at the First Church of God gym, 2500 Colby Road. A bake sale begins before the auction at 4 p.m. Auction organizers will also serve refreshments during the event.

Woodrow Wilson is the auctioneer. Items include a 55-inch TV, a 5×7 rug, quilts, pressure cookers, a child’s moped, Cincinnati Reds tickets, mountains of dog food, pool float, craftsman tool set, a Black & Decker drill, peanut butter, cases of Ale-8, Holiday World tickets, various gift cards, one year of free McDonald’s Happy Meal coupons and more.

Items will be collected up to the day of the auction, Jones said.

The auction is open to the community, and a program listing the items available will be provided upon arrival. Jones said she invites everyone to come out to support a good cause.

“You’re supporting a community organization that helps a lot of people in the community,” she said. “And it is the last year, the last one.”

Jones said while it’s bittersweet the auction is coming to its end, Hospice East will shift its focus to raising funds during the Good Giving challenge.

For more information or to make a donation, contact Hospice East at 859-744-9866 or 800-398-9866