If you were asked to guess how many children were admitted to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in one year, what would be your guess?

Five thousand? Ten thousand? Thirty thousand? Not even that high?

Try over 98,000 kids hospitalized for a major and/or life threatening illness in one year. Bear in mind that total includes every child treated there, including summer residents and tourists, as well as those who have need for a bed.

Maine’s 2010 census revealed a total of 310,959 kids aged newborn to 19 in a total population of 1,328,361. That number of children needing care at the Barbara Bush facility represents 32.52 percent of all the kids in the census. And all this care — and hopefully, cures — needs to be funded.

The Rite Aid Pharmacies of Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor are sponsoring a silent auction for Maine’s children’s hospital, one of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. You may have read something about it already in the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library’s weekly column. All auction items will be displayed at the library, located at 4 Oak Street in Boothbay Harbor, for bidding beginning Tuesday, April 26 through Saturday, April 30 (at 4 p.m.).

Mary Craig, the wellness ambassador at the Damariscotta Rite Aid, has gathered an impressive collection of merchandise — including antiques, a gold framed mirror from Salt Bay Framers,  a free week at Camp K, artist prints, NAPA donated tool sets, gift baskets and more ranging in value from $10 to $300. Gift certificates from the Trevett General Store, Dunkin Donuts, Newcastle Publick House, and others.

“People and businesses have been very generous,” Craig said. “The need for improvements at our state’s children’s hospital are great. One hundred percent of the proceeds received will go directly to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.”

Craig noted how important it is for critically ill children to be able to remain in Maine, rather than being sent further away from family to Boston.

“My youngest daughter had a virus when she was 20 months old that was killing babies. She needed to be hospitalized to receive IV fluids for three days,” said Craig. “I sat in a rocking chair for many hours holding her close to me when she was ill. That rocking chair had been donated anonymously to the hospital. And I have never forgotten the generosity of that donor or being with my child during that time.”

Craig’s daughter, Sarah, survived and became an atmospheric scientist! Sarah lives in Boston and is employed by FOX News as a meteorologist and environmental reporter.

The Craig family’s story is one in the hundreds of thousands in the history of the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital since its doors were first opened in 1995. There are 109 beds in the hospital, located within Maine Medical Center in Portland, included in that number are 31 Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit beds and 20 Level II Continuing Care nursery beds.

The hospital was named after former First Lady Barbara Bush because of her unyielding commitment to the health and welfare of Maine’s children.

The continuation of the highly skilled treatment and quality care  little and young ones receive also depends on our commitment — the community at large — to do what we can to support the work accomplished by the medical teams at the hospital, and support the families, particularly the patients.

Plan to stop by the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library Tuesday, April 26 through Friday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday, April 30 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and check out the items up for bid upstairs in the Community Room.

Craig will pick up the auction sheets for each item after 3 p.m. on Saturday and call the high bidders to notify them of their win. Payment — cash, check or credit card — and pick up of the auction item will be at Rite Aid in Boothbay Harbor at 223 Townsend Avenue.

“I thank all the businesses for their donations and all the individuals who participate in the auction,” Craig said. “Giving back is a good thing, a much appreciated good thing.”

For more information, and to add an item for the auction, contact Mary Craig at 592-9757.