The Steak Fry ‘n’ Auction started 26 years ago when the athletics department was selling Season Tickets.

“It started as a promotion to sell Season Tickets and to just raise money,” Mandi Fulton said, assistant director of athletics. “It started at the Hilltop Grove.”

Fulton said she is very excited about the upcoming Steak Fry ‘n’ Auction.

“It is one of the biggest events of the year for the athletics department,” she said.

Fulton has a goal to reach up to $30,000 this year. In the past, the auction has raised up to $25,000 and most of the money goes to student-athlete scholarships.

“We give the university $190,000 for scholarships, from the auctions, community, and our memberships,” Liviter said.

There will be several items up for auction: USI autographed sports sets, a Cardinals game package, an arena suite game of choice in December, a Western Ribeye dinner for eight, a Coca-Cola mini fridge and a Men’s Basketball Purdue Trip.

“I like to see all the hands fly up into the air at the same time,” said Carol Liviter, the chairperson of the Steak Fry ‘n’ Auction and gift card auctioneer.

Gift cards for popular restaurants like Penn Station, El Charro, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Prime Time Pub & Grill and O’ Charley’s will also be up for auction.

The steak will be provided by Western Rib-Eye & Ribs and will be grilled at Discovery Lodge by the past presidents of the West Side Nut Club.

The auction will start at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at Discovery Lodge in Burdette Park.

“The silent auction will be first,” Fulton said. “They’ll run one of those about every 15 to 20 minutes. Then about 20 minutes after those the live auction will start.”

Tickets are $40 per person or $400 for a table of eight and cannot be purchased at the door. The deadline to purchase tickets is Sept. 12.