My personal opinion is that we shouldn't do a charity unless there is a community reason to do so. Which is not to say that we shouldn't all be charitable in our lives, but now that our community is a little less active in some ways, there are fewer instances of tragedy that touch directly on the community that compel our support. In recent years it has also tended to come together at the last minute, meaning it becomes kind of a mess to sort out. I think if a community charity auction/drive is going to work, we need to have a viable individual or cause identified much earlier in the fall.
Despite the rough patches in recent years, I am grateful to those who have stepped up to organize and participate, especially Anapan. But I think maybe we should take a year off and reflect on how we really want this kind of thing to look and operate when and if we attempt to do it next year.