Indianapolis Colts step up for SKC

By Nate Traylor, Leader Staff

PABLO — Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Bob Sanders, Adam Vinatieri — yep, they’re all right here at Salish Kootenai College.

A coveted, autographed Colts football, complete with signatures from the 2007 Super Bowl winners, will no doubt spark a heated bidding war between fans at this May’s SKC Scholarship Auction.

And just in case you doubt its authenticity, Selina Kenmille, associate director of the SKC Foundation, has the documents to prove that the ball is the genuine article.

Last fall, Kenmille and director of the SKC Foundation, Lois Slater, began soliciting for sponsors for the college’s annual scholarship auction. This was the first year, however, that they hit up professional sports teams for donation items.

Kenmille contacted a little more than 100 teams from the NFL, NHL and MLB, of which about 50 wrote back and an even smaller percent actually contributed materials for the auction.

“This is my stack of ‘no’s,’” she said, pointing a thick pile of rejection letters.

However, the ones who obliged will make this year’s auction a great opportunity for sports fans to get their hands on some choice merchandise.

In addition to the signed Colts football, Slater and Kenmille also acquired a football signed by the Packers and a baseball signed by Chad Cordero of the Washington Nationals. They are also waiting for items from the Baltimore Ravens.

Considering that this is their first year contacting national sports teams for sponsorships, the SKC Foundation scored big with their Colts football acquisition. They received the ball in November, before the Colts were even considered likely candidates for the Super Bowl.

“When I got it I called my aunt because she is a Colts fan,” said Kenmille. “She said ‘Oh, I hope they win the Super Bowl because then we’ll see people come [to the auction] from everywhere.’”

That is exactly what the foundation is hoping for.

“I think this will bring a lot of new people,” Kenmille said.

When the Colts beat the Bears 29-17, the two women knew they had their hands on something special. They immediately rushed the ball to safety and kept it under lock and key.

Previous auctions have been very successful. Last year the SKC Foundation raised $36,000, all of which went into scholarships. The highest bidding item was a set of outdoor furniture that went for $1,700.

Some items up for auction aren’t tangible. Last year they sold a walk with Gov. Brian Schweitzer and his dog Jag. That also went for $1,700.

And because all auction items are donated the events have been very lucrative for the college, they explained.

Neither of the women could predict how much the signed sports paraphernalia will go for. But consider this: The SKC Foundation once auctioned off a basketball signed by the Lady Griz for around $700 — an indication of how much sports fans are willing to spend for signed paraphernalia.

And we’re talking the Super Bowl-winning Colts here. It’s likely the ball will go for some big bucks.

The ball more than makes up for the rejection letters that came pouring in. Many of the teams couldn’t contribute to the auction because they only give within their region. Pablo was a little out of their jurisdiction, Kenmille explained.

“Which is understandable,” she said. “But it’s the ones that did give that we’re excited about.”

The SKC Foundation Annual Scholarship Auction will be May 19 at KwaTaqNuq.