“It’s not too late to donate,” said Judy Sallis.

Sallis is the coordinator for donations for the annual Cher-okee County Chapter American Red Cross Souper Supper, which will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at the fellowship hall of the First Methodist Church in Centre.

Donations have been coming in — items to be placed in the auction and financial donations — Sallis said. She added that not just businesses are encouraged to donate, but individuals as well.

Sallis said donations may be made at the Red Cross office at 1122 West Main St., Centre, or a Red Cross representative will pick up donations if the donor calls 927-3797 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.

“We’ve had items valued to as much at nearly $400 donated,” Sallis said.

“This is a very important fund-raiser,” said chapter manager Delsie Yother, “not only because of the disaster (Nov. 10 tornado in Cherokee County) but because of funding our local chapter as we’ll be here from now on during disasters and between disasters. “

Souper Supper is the local chapter’s main fund-raiser for maintenance of the local office.

“This fund-raiser is especially important at this time,” Yother continued. “The chapter maintenance is important. We have to handle local disasters such as single-family fires and local distasters where the state does not come in or it is not a national disaster.”

Funds from Souper Supper are used to provide shelter and clothing for victims of local disasters, such as fires.

Souper Supper has been held early in February in the past. However, chapter board chairman Kurt Duryea points out, the date was changed to allow for Christmas shopping by those participating in the auction.

The silent auction will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “This will allow buyers the opportunity to make an immediate purchase on the item,” Duryea said. “They will not have to wait for the close of the auction.”

Minimum bids will be established for each item.

Items not sold during the silent auction will be grouped and sold following the supper during the live auction.

Items have been solicited from local businesses.

Among the more than 120 items donated have been four tickets to an Atlanta Thrashers National Hockey League game, a fall fruit/flower basket, an Oreck Speed Iron, a full-sized tool box, five pallets of Burmuda sod, a 260 PSI air compressor, a week’s camping space, camouflauge jackets, a one-year YMCA membership, a Huffy bike, a gold ring, a Stihl leaf-blower, an Easy Dial memory phone and a football autographed by University of Alabama Coach Dennis Franchione.

The supper will be served at 6 p.m. Cost for the supper and the live auction is $5 a person