Everittes offer free community Thanksgiving dinner

ELIZABETHTOWN – You wouldn’t normally be invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at an auction company, but this year, Everitte & Sons Auction Company, 2900 W. Broad Street in Elizabethtown has decided to invest back into their community and give thanks not just in word, but in deed.

“Me and my wife, Katie are both licensed auctioneers and we have an in-person auction every other Saturday,” Jamie Everitte said. “That’s along with holding estate sales and other stuff. I am 34 years old and we have two beautiful children were a curator of ‘stuff.’ We like all kinds of stuff.”

And stuff they have. Not only the vintage, “cool” antique signs with a few reproduction pieces but also the everyday household stuff as well.

“First and foremost, we are Christians,” he said. “We do our best to exemplify that every day in our business in what we do. So, that’s our basis.”

People can drive by or look online at what is going to be auctioned, but nothing is sold outside of the confines of the auction itself. They sell it all live without any proxy bidding and unless it is a big-ticket item such as a car or a trailer or farm implement, there is no reserve.

As far as the feeding of the community – that is something that is not a trick or bait and switch, but just a no-strings-attached gift for a community they love.

“If I’m being honest, my wife is the giver,” he said. “I handle a lot of the auction inventory and stuff, but she handles all of our social media and our public outreach. And that’s a big part of who we are. When we started here, we wanted to be able to bring something to the community where people can buy stuff second hand and maybe get a good deal on it. But we also wanted to make a difference.”

This is not the first rodeo for making a difference. On Halloween night they had over 1,000 come through. The business offered free candy, candy apples, hayrides and a crowd favorite – fried Oreos.

“For most people on Thanksgiving, it’s a joyful time of the year,” he said. “But if you’re alone, it’s not. We want an option for people here if they’re alone, or if they are shut-in, or maybe their family is out of town and their children are all grown.”

The idea was to take away the isolation that the recent past has preached due to illness and pandemic and to get people to be with other people.

“They can come in and eat with us, or take it to go,” Everitte said. “We’ll even deliver it to them if you are in Bladen County and they can’t get here. We’ve already had a few calls, and already a few plates scheduled to deliver on Thanksgiving Day.”

A mixture of people are doing the cooking with Everitte’s wife making homemade macaroni and cheese and there are people designated to cook turkeys. Other people have come forth and will be taking care of the desserts and also local people who have volunteered to serve.

“It’s just kind of a family thing,” he said. “Not blood family, but we’ve met a lot of good people along the way. We’re good on volunteers mainly because when we plan something we have it all taken care of before we even announce it.”

With all the financial faux pas going on right now in the country, it is a huge step for someone in the community to step up and make a way for a family that can’t afford Thanksgiving this year.

“Our life’s not about us,” he said. “So, if you’re living life for yourself, you’ll never be happy. You just won’t. If you try to help other people, and believe me I’ve been on the receiving end of that. I remember when my wife and I first got married and we had nothing. We know how it is to feel loved, appreciated and not alone out there.”

Everitte & Sons has been at their current location for 11 months and prior to that it was C & E Auction Company where I had a business partner. The company has merged into a solo act. The Everitte’s have been licensed as auctioneers for two years and prior to that they did only estate sales which they also still do.

“It’s fun,” he said. “We do try to live frugal and try to live within our means and it’s an auction. So, you just don’t know. Some weeks are amazing and some weeks and some are just enough to get you by. We also allow people to consign stuff with us. It is a good business if you enjoy people and you enjoy handling secondhand stuff. This business not only finds a new place for old things, but also keeps things out of the landfill as well.”

Some of the normal, everyday items that are found at auction can include in addition to antiques and collectibles, their bread-and-butter items such as tools, wash machines, dryers, and things that people can use daily.

On average there are 100 people at the Everitte & Sons Auction. It does depend upon some of the things that are being sold which have included Peter Max and Thomas Kinkade artwork, fine jewelry and one of the biggest items auctioned was a piece of farm machinery that sold for $35K.

“For me, one of the most fun things we auction are the rare advertising,” he said. “Things that you’ll never see again – that may be one of one. We’ve sold signs for several thousand dollars or an old tobacco tin or the gas boy hats. The rarities are the things I like to see.”

The couple were married in February of 2014.

“With our two boys we have wanted to instill into them just what our families have instilled into us,” Everitte said. “We try to live by example to them and as we see it, the Bible says to take care of the widows and the orphans. And if you do those things, everything else will fall into place. And we’re blessed here. Just like with Thanksgiving we’re able to help and many other people gave donations as well. We want to be the hands and feet of Christ because I look at around at all the stuff and at the end of the day, none of this stuff matters. Your salvation matters. Every Saturday before a sale, we have a prayer. We put Him at the forefront.”

And as this precious couple and this unique business have done that, they have been able to do what their heart desires – and that is simply to love one another.

The dinner begins at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and runs until 2 p.m. or until the food runs out. The menu is turkey, dressing, gravy, mac & cheese, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, pies and drinks/bottled water. For more information about the event, you can call either Jamie or Katie Everitte at 910-618-7329.

You can visit their auction site at: https://everitteandsons.com/ or their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/everitteandsonsauctionco/