Safe Harbor of Chester County, like many nonprofits in the early days of the pandemic, found itself with a bit of a challenge: How to hold its traditional auction fundraiser during lockdowns. Organizers took a bit of creativity, added a technological approach, and migrated the entire browsing-bidding-winning process online.

For the 2022 edition, part of its “Cornhole and Concert for Charity” tournament on April 30, the transactions will remain virtual.

The decision to retain the electronic interactions was partly to continue to ensure the public can safely participate. And partly because it added a whole new level of engagement.

In short, it was even more fun than before.

The virtual version eliminates the old-school arrangement of clipboards, bidding sheets, and eager acquirers hovering around a coveted item as it’s about to close.

All the action has been shifted to a phone app.

It’s as browsable as its in-person forebear. But it has the technology to text bidders when they’ve been topped and provides the opportunity to rebid.

Best of all, participants don’t even have to be onsite at the Apr. 30 event at the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester (at 2 p.m.).

Bidders can be home. Or at their kids’ little-league game. Or even strolling a Fla. theme park

David James, Safe Harbor’s Development Director said, “Some of our biggest bidders and winners have come from people while they were out of state. They couldn’t make the event, but they still wanted to support Safe Harbor. So they registered online and followed the auction along on their phones.”

Online registration is easy. Participants receive an online confirmation, followed by an update when the auction goes live.

Some items are available for preview now:

• Golf packages
• Philadelphia Eagles tickets
• Romantic getaways
• Fine art
• Cancun, Mexico, trip

More treasures to temp a bidder’s interest are being added in the runup to Safe Harbor’s “Cornhole for Charity,” which opens April 30 at noon and closes at 9:00 p.m.

Good luck!