New auction begins

The goal of the Don Walker Memorial Scholarship Committee this year is to raise $23,000 so that the scholarship fund can reach $100,000 and double the amount of money given each year to a journalism student at either Marquette University or the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

To that end, the committee will be holding events this year to meet that goal. The first is an auction of six 16-by-20-inch limited edition framed lithographs signed and numbered to 1,000 by sports artist Michael Mellett. Each is printed on an 80-lb. Howard Linen Cover Stock. Each lithograph is from an offset printer and is printed from a plate, not from a printer or copy machine. Unframed copies usually sell for between $30 and $50 online, so these framed lithographs are worth much more.

As the Green Bay Packers continue their march toward the Super Bowl, these limited-edition lithographs provide the perfect gift for the true Packers fan.

Here are the rules of the event:

Bidding for the lithographs of former Packers head coach Mike Holmgren and former defensive end Reggie White starts at $50 each.

Bidding for the lithographs of former Packers running back Paul Hornung and former linebacker Ray Nitschke starts at $75 each.

Bidding for the lithographs of former Packers quarterback Bart Starr and former head coach Vince Lombardi begins at $100 each.

Bidding begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, and will be open only to those living in the five-county Milwaukee area. Bids from outside the five-county Milwaukee area will be accepted only if the bidder agrees to pick up the lithographs in Milwaukee. Lithographs will not be mailed.

Email your bid to donwalkerscholarship@gmail.com. Make sure you list which lithograph you’re bidding on for each bid. Then watch the Don Walker Memorial Scholarship page on Facebook for a once-a-day update on the bids.

Bidding will close at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, unless the committee determines that more bids are necessary. If more bids are sought, the deadline will be extended to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, and a notification of extended bidding will be published on the scholarship’s Facebook page.

Winners will be notified via email. Instructions will be provided in the email on how to pick up the winning lithographs and how to donate the winning bid to the scholarship fund. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the fund.

Any disputes arising from the event will be settled by the committee, and the committee’s decision will be final. Thanks to Thomas Tolan for donating the lithographs.