The La Prairie Lioness Club's annual Celebrity Auction is set to go for the 17th year in Portage la Prairie tonight. Organizer Heather Graham explains the cause behind the event.

"Central Plains Cancer Care has been our charity of choice for all the years we have done this. We were only going to do it one time 17 years ago but it was such a success and there was such a need for money that we just decided we would keep doing it. That need for money hasn't stopped and cancer has not stopped."

Graham says they always hope for a good outcome but never set expectations when it comes to how much money will be brought in.

"We don't go in with any preconceived idea of what we are going to raise. You always want to match or beat the year before, that is what the hope it. However, we will take whatever we end up with because it's more dollars than what Cancer Care started with that morning. Over the last few years we have been averaging between $15,000 to $17,000. We would like to keep that goal up there. "

She explains with those being the average totals they have brought in a significant about of money over the past 16 years.

"Over the last 16 years we have raised over $150,000 collectively for Central Plains Cancer Care. That shows us that maybe as individuals we can't raise a whole lot or feel that we can't give a lot but if we all gather together and pull our resources together tonight, together we can raise a lot of dollars that really do make a difference."

Graham encourages anybody to stop in and support the event, noting there is not entrance fee. The auction begins at 7:30 at Canad Inns in Portage la Prairie.