“Flip it Forward: Art & Auction is a brand-new event for us,” said Kathy Kulas, Habitat director. “People can come into the ReStore, select items that are worth up to $100 and flip it. People can make it look nice, but they can also can take it and just repurpose it into something completely different.”

“They can only take donated items and no discounts apply,” added daughter Sarah Kulas, a volunteer at Habitat, adding items can be combined to up to $100.

Once a person picks out an item or items, staff members will take a “before” photo and the participant must fill out two registration forms. If an item can’t be completed by the Feb. 21 deadline, the person must purchase the item or return it to the ReStore. The paint and stain are provided by the person doing the project.

The fundraiser has different categories: Take a Seat, Shine a Light on It, Fur & Feather, Cool Tools, Yooperific, Trash to Treasure, Stowaway: “Trunk” for your “Junk” and Wildcard.

Poster for the Habitat for Humanity Menominee River's upcoming fundraiser, Flip it Forward Art & Auction.

Completed items will be displayed at the ReStore until the day of the live auction, which will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Kingsford. There will be hor d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Tickets to the auction are $60 for one or $100 for two.

Those who participate in the competition will also get a free ticket to the auction. Four cash prizes will be handed out: Best in Show, $250; People’s Choice, $100; Highest Price Percent Increase, $100; and Flip of Fate, based on a random drawing of participants, $50.

“It’s kind of a cool event,” Kathy Kulas said. “We thought about doing it last summer but didn’t have everything ready. There is every chance we will switch seasons,” she added, indicating it would place in summer, with the auction in the fall.

Tickets are available online, particularly on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/habitat.river/, but paper tickets will be available for those who don’t want to use a QR code to a website.

They are looking for sponsors as well, with top levels of sponsors receiving tickets to the event.

“What’s cool about this is everyone will see something different and have a different way of completing it — whatever people come up with, how it speaks to them,” Kathy Kulas said. “It will be exciting to see, and we hope this event will continue to grow. The first go-around, we’re still working the kinks out.”

An affiliate downstate has a similar event, as does one in New York. “The affiliate we talked to, when they first started until now, it’s almost doubled in size,” Sarah Kulas said.

All proceeds from the event will remain in the area and help the local Habitat for Humanity Menominee River.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.