GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) -- Once upon a time, a 4-year-old Green Bay boy put on his first watch, beginning his collection. And even after his tragic death at the age of 15, Brian LaViolette's love for watches is making a difference.
The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation hosted its Once Upon a Time watch auction Wednesday that broke a world record in its efforts to support students all over the world.
While the auction took place in Chicago, people gathered at the Automobile Gallery and Events Center in Green Bay to watch famous watches go for tens of thousands of dollars.
"Going in, we had no idea whether this auction would be successful," said Executive Director of the Automobile Gallery and Events Center Darrel Burnett, "and to have it come right out of the blocks blowing past many of the reserves that were set, I knew something special was unfolding, and, certainly, that’s what happened today."
Burnett, who is also a member of the executive board of the Brian LaViolette Foundation, says the event was such a success because it brought in three key aspects: watches, philanthropy and celebrity.
Some watches were beautiful in their own right, fitting in among the timeless classics at the automobile center. Others, were only coveted because of the wrist they had been on.
“The most intriguing piece, obviously, was the watch of Pope Francis," said Burnett. His Holiness's Swatch watch doesn't have great value on its own -- but because the Pope wore it, the simple watch realized $56,250 -- a record for the brand.
Other celebrities included NFL legend Terry Bradshaw and country music star Kenny Rogers.
The LaViolette foundation portion of the auction brought in$144,428 -- well above original expectations. The entire auction netted $335,507.
That money will go toward funding scholarships, including the $10,000 Brian LaViolette Scholarship, which is awarded to students in Northeast Wisconsin.
The foundation supports scholarships in the name of other families' loved ones as well. Since its beginning in 1992, the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation has awarded over 1,050 scholarships internationally.
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Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the amount that benefited the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation.