When WNIN was forced off the air in 1972, community efforts quickly fueled the Southwest Indiana public television’s station revival. Chief among those was a spring auction that has developed into an annual fundraising staple since 1974.
Two names have become synonymous with the event: Bob and Becky Zimmermann.
Now entering its 50th year, WNIN’s auction has been faithfully served by the Zimmermanns since its conception.
Bob recalls that he and Becky weren’t always the faces of the Channel 9 auction, noting that when he started volunteering, his job was simply to unbox items and prepare them for the auction.
“I started from the bottom and worked my way up,” Bob says.
The husband-and-wife duo quickly earned new positions as auctioneers, titles that now are forever linked with the Zimmermanns.
This spring, Mayor Stephanie Terry pro- claimed April 11 as Robert & Rebecca Zimmermann WNIN Lifetime Auctioneers Day for their unwavering commitment to support the broadcasting outlet over the past five decades.
Surprisingly, Bob says they never had any experience auctioneering before their time at WNIN. The Evansville residents viewed their participation as “just a little something” they could do to support a station they appreciate.
“I really do love it,” Bob says. “I have gotten a lot more out of it than I’ve put in; I can assure you of that.”
