Auction to benefit shelter

Lunch with world-renowned drummer Kenny Aronoff could help save an animal's life. So might some home-made soul food cooked up by African American Choral Ensemble director Dr. James E. Mumford. \nAronoff, Mumford and Herald-Times political cartoonist Joe Lee will host a benefit auction at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Neal-Marshal Black Culture Center Grand Hall. The auction will raise money for the Monroe County Humane Association's campaign to build a new animal shelter and education center. The men will also donate their time and skills to the highest bidder.\nFor the right price, a bidder can eat lunch with former Mellencamp and Smashing Pumpkins drummer Aronoff, have dinner for four cooked by Mumford or get a personalized cartoon from Lee.\n"I love the idea of these three gentlemen being the hosts," Campaign Humane Director Maria Heslin said. "They're three dynamic individuals in this community. It's good to have this community involvement."\nHeslin said the auction will have something for everybody.\n"We have a lot of really unusual things you can't put a price tag on," Heslin said. "We're really excited about it."\nA variety of items are up for bid, including a football autographed by new football coach Gerry DiNardo and former standout quarterback Antwaan Randle El, motown dance lessons from "Dr. Motown" Charles Sykes, lunch with IU soccer coach Jerry Yeagley and a day at the lake with former Mellencamp bassist Toby Myers. \n"It's fun to have someone like James Mumford, who is the director of the African American Choral Ensemble, get to show off his other talents," Heslin said. "It's fun for him and whoever gets to win it." \nCampaign Humane's goal is to raise $2.5 million to build a new animal shelter and education center as well as to install an aggressive spay/neuter program. \nMumford said he thinks the treatment of animals says a lot about the community.\n"The civility of a society can be judged by how they treat their animals," said Mumford, who is also a general chair for Campaign Humane. "It is important in our society to be seriously concerned with the welfare of its animals and to have a reverence for life, whether human or animal."\nA proud owner of two cats and two dogs, Mumford also believes a new shelter will help save the lives of animals.\n"Annually, 4,000 animals are put to sleep because we can't do what we need to do to adopt them," Mumford said. "It's important to work and speak for those things that can't speak for themselves."\nThe MCHA kicked of Campaign Humane last week when it announced proposed plans for the new shelter. The Campaign needs another $1.5 million to reach its goal, and members hope to achieve the goal by the end of the year. Groundbreaking for the new shelter is aimed for March or April of next year, and construction is hoped to be finished by the beginning of 2004. The new shelter will double the amount of space available with the current animal shelter.\nHeslin is happy with the community's reaction to the campaign since the kick-off just one week ago.\n"It has been just wonderful," she said. "The kickoff has caused a lot of people to contact us that are willing to help us with what we need for campaign."\nHeslin also hopes the spirit from the kick-off will carry over into future fund-raising events.\n"The enthusiasm (from the kick-off) was heartwarming," she said. "I hope that the momentum will carry on, and I suspect that it will."\n"I was thrilled with the kickoff. The turnout from the community was tremendous. There was such a wide cross section of people from the community. The enthusiasm was heartwarming. We hope that the momentum will carry on and I suspect that it will," she said.