ShawneeDispatch.com

Don't be surprised if the Shawnee branch of the Country Club Bank has taken on a new look in the lobby the past few days to help raise money for a local charity.

Students from Mill Valley High School's drafting and art programs designed, produced and decorated 10 Adironback chairs that are being showcased at the bank during a silent auction that wraps up at 5 p.m. May 21. The money raised from the chairs, which boast hand-painted designs featuring everything from Old Glory to the Mona Lisa to a KU Jayhawk, will benefit the Sunflower House, a Shawnee agency dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect.

"We have really enjoyed having the chairs displayed," said Jan Wiley, branch manager of the Shawnee bank. "We have had a lot of folks come in just to take a look and all of the chairs have bids on them now."

The chairs started with minimum bids of $30, and some have already drawn bids of more than $100.

"It is good to see that they are doing well," said Mill Valley drafting teacher Arlan Vomhof, who originally pitched the idea. "We like the idea of keeping the money local and helping out the community because that is who is likely going to be buying the chairs."

Vomhof said one of his drafting courses created an assembly line to produce the chairs earlier this year before they were turned over to students in Amy Wright's art class to be decorated.

Wiley and Vomhof indicated that initial response to the program has been positive and both parties have expressed interest in seeing the program return next year and continue to benefit a charitable cause.

"We are very excited about this and hope to see it become and annual event," she said. "it is a very worthy cause and we are always ready and willing to help the community."

Meanwhile, Vomhof said he hopes so see the bidding continue and raise as much money as possible this year.

"I hope that a lot more people can stop by and really get those bids up," he said.