Bel Air Auto Auction 75th Anniversary Celebration Fights Cancer

BSC America’s Bel Air Auto Auction celebrated its 75th year this April 2022 with a special charity fundraiser that raised $100,000 for the American Cancer Society’s future, larger Hope Lodge Baltimore that will provide out-of-town cancer patients with 2,920 more nights of free lodging by expanding from 26 to 34 guest rooms. The present Hope Lodge provides close to 13,000 nights of free lodging annually.

The anniversary celebration on April 13-14 featured 2,500 cars running through the lanes packed with customers eager to bid on consignments. The highlight was a Bel Air Auto Auction tradition – the Classic Car Sale, but this year also featured an auction for Bel Air’s #1 Bidder Badge, with the top bid of $41,000 won by Bryan Kilby from Jones Junction, which gained lifetime rights to the badge. The back-up bidder Neal Johnson from Rich Morton Mazda stepped up to donate an additional $10,000 to the American Cancer Society (ACS). With proceeds at $51,000, the Nichols family rounded up the full ACS donation to $100,000. To recognize the gift, two future guest rooms at Hope Lodge Baltimore will be named in honor of Bel Air Auto Auction and of Jones Junction.

“We wanted to commemorate our 75th anniversary with a fundraising event, as a way to express our gratitude for the support we have received during our many years in business,” said Michelle Nichols-Neff, BSC America Vice President. “Because there are so many among us who have been affected by cancer, either struggling with it personally or seeing its effects in the lives of those we love, we decided to make this year’s donation to the American Cancer Society. The enthusiasm of our customers and their willingness to share was a thrilling way to conclude our two days of celebration.”

The American Cancer Society is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of the future Hope Lodge that will be located on West Lexington Street in Baltimore across from the present Hope Lodge that is consistently filled to capacity. ACS operates more than 30 Hope Lodges across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico which provide more than 500,000 nights of free lodging annually to cancer patients who need to travel long distance to get the best possible cancer treatment. See: www.hopeishomebaltimore.org.

Bel Air Auto Auction is the flagship auction of BSC America, with a weekly sale on Thursday. The auction’s Clayton Station facility handles the sale of rental scratch & dent units, donations, salvage and inop units, along with a monthly Tuesday sale with powersports units, heavy trucks, and equipment.

In addition to the vast offering of vehicles from fleet companies and financial institution customers, Bel Air Auto Auction has grown to become the largest independent auto auction selling for new and independent dealers located in the Mid-Atlantic region. Bel Air Auto Auction is a member of the ServNet Auction group and the National Auto Auction Association.

Photo caption: Gathering for the ACS check presentation (l to r): Members of the Nichols family of Bel Air Auto Auction: Ray Nichols, R. Charles Nichols, and Michelle Nichols-Neff; Bryan Kilby of Jones Junction whose winning bid brought him lifetime rights to the auction’s #1 Bidder Badge; ACS representatives Tswana Sewell and Vivienne Stearns-Elliott; and auctioneer Michael Adcock.