Dennis Wagoner, left, Al Abrams, center, and Jon Sroufe, right, stand in front of the truck that will be up for auction on Saturday, Oct. 3.

NORTH WEBSTER — North Webster Community Center added a little fun to its upcoming auction with the recent inclusion of North Webster Town Board President Jon Sroufe’s “beloved pickup” in the items for bid.

Sherman Goldenberg gathered Sroufe, North Webster Police Chief Greg Church, NWCC Board President Dennis Wagoner, and Auction Chairman Al Abrams for a little public relations fun, photos included.

As Sroufe pulled up in his turquoise 1997 Chevy 1500 glistening in the sun, the group couldn’t help but comment on how “she sure cleans up nice.” Sroufe gave the official mileage before parading through the community center parking lot, a whopping 258,792 miles, perhaps a mile or two higher after the spectacle.

Jon Sroufe stands proudly beside his beloved truck while Greg Church blocks off North Webster traffic. (Photo by Chelsea Los)

When asked if he would be sad to part with his friend of 14 years, Sroufe replied, “Oh, yes,” adding, “It’s like losing an old friend.” Goldenberg joked the truck had gone on its furthest journey during a trip to Ligonier, but Sroufe corrected him saying it had, in fact, made one trip to South Carolina and back. “I may not want to part with this,” added Sroufe, as he opened the creaking door to fire it up.

Wagoner laughed from the sidelines as Sroufe found the perfect position to park the truck for its photo-op, noting “We try to come up with something unusual each year to keep it interesting.”

“He’s had it a long time, and everybody knows this truck,” said Wagoner.

Church stopped traffic in both directions for the now iconic truck photo shoot, surely making North Webster travelers wonder what was happening in the street.

To see more of the truck and other fun items, attend the Heart of the Community Charity Auction & Raffle from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.

To read more about the auction and the items up for grabs, click here.