ROME TOWNSHIP — The Godiva Chocolate people should be so lucky. First crack out of the candy box a dozen chocolate and peanut butter buckeye candies got $110 out of Stephen Burcham’s wallet. Next up was a chocolate marshmellow cake by Timmy Simpson that pulled in $120 from Ron Hadsell.

Prices seemingly a little high for some confections. Not when it’s the Sweet Tooth Auction at the Lawrence County Fair.

And Monday night the politicians were in full force creating a unique kind of bidding war, all for a good cause.

Burcham, a Democrat running for state auditor in the fall, and Hadsell, also a Democrat, running for state representative, were quickly out maneuvered by the team on the other side of the livestock arena, site of the Sweet Tooth Auction.

Paul Herrell, a Republican seeking a place on the Lawrence County Commission, paid $120 for some more buckeyes and was joined quickly by Republicans Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless and Jason Stephens, who also wants to become county auditor in the fall.

“Stephen, you are going to have to get up those hands,” Auctioneer Bob Sells joked with Burcham.

Soon Burcham got back into the fray putting out $100 for a loaf of zucchini bread.

Throughout the event, the audience was encouraged by Sells, who vouched for all the merchandise that came on the auction block.

“I’ve sampled all of them and I know they are all good,” he said.

The Sweet Tooth Auction is one of the traditions of the Lawrence County Fair that fairgoers pack the arena for. All candies, cakes and breads are homemade and created by members of the various 4-H clubs in the county.

All goodies are donated to the auction and money raised goes back to the 4-H for various projects. This year the funds will help pay for Christmas presents for needy children in the county.