The idea that a public museum could raise its annual operating budget in one night is almost unheard of — except for the attendees at the annual Bayou Teche Museum fundraising gala. They’ve seen it happen year after year.

The 2020 Gala is slated for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 and as anyone who has attended will attest, the energy and excitement created by the staff, volunteers and donors is topped only by the auctioneer.

Sen. Fred Mills will be at the microphone againat the conclusion of the museum’s catered affair. His call-out appeals to solicit higher and higher bids from the patrons in the room have proven successful because they believe in the cause of preservation and honoring the history of the community provided by the museum. Mills makes it so much fun, the high rollers come back year after year even though the crowds at the Sliman have started overflowing into the museum, the under-construction Doc Voorhies Wing, a tented parking lot and out onto Main Street’s turn lane. All for a good cause, and a great night.

This year the gala committee adopted an idea from the enterprising Jerri Carson Leclair. This weekend her hard work went live at an online auction site designed for bidding. Smaller items usually donated and on display only on the night of the Gala are now available to see for more than a month before the gavel sounds closing the auction. In town supporters and friends or family out of town can jump in early or stay late at the online auction that will remain open until 9 a.m. the morning after the Gala’s live auction by Mills.

“Too often volunteers are working and can’t check on their silent auction bids, or patrons may not have won the bid for a bigger item they wanted and still have money to spend,” Leclair said. “This way, even if someone is out of town, or a native knowing they will be returning to the area at a later date, bids can be made on fabulous prizes.”

Donations have mounted to more than $11,000 in value, before the bidding even starts. Leclair said she is still expecting a few more items to come in and as they do, the prizes will be added to the website.

In advance, some of the art objects are on display in the window at CrossFit on Main Street. Jewelry and smaller accessories can be seen online or in person at the Bayou Teche Museum during normal business hours, until the auction.

“There is a list of live auction items on BiddingForGood.com/BTM,” Leclair said. “Also bidders can see the raffle ticket items with descriptions. The $5 raffle ticket is not for sale on the website, but pictures of the first-, second- and third-place items are there and the locations where they can be inspected in person.”

Leclair recommends registering anytime in order to take advantage of last-minute bidding wars. Notifications via email will keep bidders alert to the progress of their favorite item’s popularity and credit cards will not be processed until Jan. 31 — after all the bidding is closed and winners are selected. To see or bid on the items collected, visit BiddingForGood.com/BTM.

The Bayou Teche Museum, Pelicans On The Bayou and The Daily Iberian will be selling raffle tickets starting this week until the Gala.

Patrons of the museum will receive a letter when tickets are printed for Gala contributions of $50 per person, or they can be picked up at the museum at a later date with a phone call purchase at 606-5977.