Hotham’s Chairlift Auction Raises $75,800 For Local Charities

Mt Hotham held their first ever charity auction yesterday with guests vying for a piece of Hotham history and taking home chairs from the Victorian ski resort’s first-ever chairlift – The Playground Chair.

Community spirits were high at the event for opening weekend, with $75,800 raised for local charities. The Playground Chair is Hotham’s first chairlift – a two-seater that opened in 1969 that was the main access lift back to the village until 1993 when the Village Chair opened.

Of the 57 chairs from The Playground Chair on offer, 27 went under the hammer. The event took place at The Bird, a Mt Hotham institution, with John and Lachlan Castran of Castran Real Estate auctioning off the chairs to the Hotham community.

“We are so thrilled with this outcome – to be able to give back to the community and share a beloved part of Hotham’s history with the people of the mountain has been fantastic,” said Emily Smith, Hotham Ski Company’s Marketing Manager.

30 more chairs were be auctioned online

The remaining 30 chairs were available for an online auction via the Givergy platform on Sunday June 11, with bidding closing on 18 June at 6.00pm.

All proceeds from the auction supported local community, youth and environment initiatives so that funds raised could go back to the local community through Hotham’s Epic Promise Foundation.

These include:

• Bright P-12 + Incl Dinner Plain Campus,
• Omeo Primary School,
• Tawonga Primary School,
• Porepunkah Primary,
• Harrietville Bush Kinder,
• Omeo Region Business and Tourism Association – Omeo Community Hub,
• The Hangout – Youth Program run by Omeo District Health,
• Disabled Wintersports Australia – Adaptive Snowsports for Kids,
• Hotham Free Ski, Chumpy Pullin Foundation,
• Bright Courthouse Committee of Management – AV upgrade to support arts at the venue,
• Dinner Plain Community Association – DP MTB Trail Maintenance Initiative.