Celebrity Auction offers memorabilia, autographs, chance to meet ‘Mary Ann’

By GREG JORDAN

BLUEFIELD — Sports memorabilia, celebrity autographs, art and more were auctioned off Friday night to help fuel the legacy of an actor who gave life to one of the world’s most beloved castaways.

Guests filled the second floor of Gary Bowling’s House of Art so they could bid on items up for sale at Denver Foundation Christ-mas Wish Celebrity Auction. Founded by the late Bob Denver, known to millions as Gilligan of “Gil-ligan’s Island,” the foundation aids families with special needs children. Profits from the radio station Denver and his wife Dreama Denver founded, Little Buddy Radio, helps fund this legacy.

Besides being able to bid on items autographed by sports, music and television celebrities, those attending the auction also had the opportunity to meet Dawn Wells, known to millions as Mary Ann of “Gilligan’s Island.”

Wells decided to visit Bluefield when her longtime friend Dream mentioned the upcoming event.

“This is so exciting!” Wells said over the sound of jazz music and conversation. The only thing missing was her friend Bob Denver. While Wells has played and continues to play many roles on television and on stage, working with Denver and being part of “Gilligan’s Island” remains special. Denver had talent that made millions of fans love Gilligan, she said.

“He had a soul of a child — he became that character,” Wells said. “It was a wonderful, moralistic show about sharing and people from different backgrounds being able to live together.”

And fans keep watching the show. “Gilligan’s Island” has never been off television since 1964, and it can be seen in three languages, she said.

In some of the show’s episodes, dream sequences allowed Wells to step out of her Mary Ann role to become characters such as a cockney English girl or a spooky hag. She stepped into other roles such as a hooker in the play “The Owl and the Pussy Cat.” Unlike the movie version, the play didn’t feature “dirty language,” Wells said.

Wells even revealed that she would like to play parts in the works of William Shakespeare; a possible opportunity to play Lady MacBeth didn’t work out, but she still has hopes.

“I’d like to play somebody and you didn’t know who I was,” she said.

Wells was ready to help when auctioneer Randle Grant coaxed bids from the audience. The first item up for sale, a framed football jersey signed by Peyton Manning, soared up to $1,000. Another jersey signed by basketball legend Jerry West earned another $700, and a football jersey signed by Ahmad Bradshaw of the Giants brought in an additional $550.

Then a unique piece of “Gilligan’s Island” was on the proverbial block — a framed photograph signed by all the cast. The bidding started as Wells held the photo for all to see, a “Wow!” expression lighting up her face again and again as the bids piled up and hit the $700 mark. That was only the first “Gilligan’s” item to be auctioned off.

Mike Lushbaugh, 51, of Welch examined his new prize; its new home is his TV room.

Is he a fan of the show?

“Oh, yes!” he exclaimed.

As the auction got underway, Denver felt the memory of her husband encouraging both her and their longtime friend.

“And I know he’s looking down, smiling at me and Dawn and saying, ‘Girls, you can do this!’”