RUMFORD — The Friends of Black Mountain of Maine fundraising committee will  hold an auction at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, to help raise money for the mountain.

Committee member Judy Collette said the idea for the auction was the result of a collaborative brainstorming effort by the entire committee, adding that she and Co-chairwoman Sue Adley “have experience with hosting auctions.”

“Susie and I have held auctions to raise money for Holy Savior School,” Collette said. “They’re always a lot of fun to do, and it’s a great way to get the community involved. We figured it’d be a good way to help raise some money for the mountain.”

The auction will take place at Black Mountain Lodge, with doors opening at 5 p.m.

Mike Brennick of Rumford will be the auctioneer.

Among the items up for sale, according to Collette, are four Red Sox box seat tickets, Boston Celtics tickets, gift certificates to restaurants, cords of wood, dance lessons and handmade jewelry.

One item Collette described as “the main draw” is a picnic table from the original Lodge signed by Chummy Broomhall, a Maine skier who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics.

“We’re lucky to have a very generous community that has always lent support to the mountain,” Collette said.

After the budget for Black Mountain was defeated during the annual town meeting in June, Collette said her eyes were opened to how important the mountain was to the community at large.

“I woke up and realized, ‘Wow, we need to do something about this,’” Collette said. “The mountain has always meant a lot to me personally. My daughter has been skiing there since she was 2½. Now she’s 18. She got her first job there as a ski instructor and has skied with the ski team. It’s one of her passions. She was one of those residents who said, ‘We can’t let this happen to the mountain.’

“I don’t know what we’d do without Black Mountain,” Collette said. “It’s an asset to our community and we’re very blessed to have it.”

To donate an item or make a monetary donation to the auction, call Adley at 364-4919, Sherry Milligan at 364-3408 or Collette at 364-5157.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com