Snow filled the Washington sky on that November morning, but it didn’t keep DAA Northwest from holding its first-ever sale.

The auction didn’t end up selling much that day (less than a dozen, DAA says), but perhaps the real triumph was that the DAA Northwest team managed to dig the vehicles out of snow banks, get them started and offer them for sale in the first place.

Interestingly enough, the auction was assisted in those tasks by a local dealer, “who still calls DAA ‘home’ today,” DAA said.

Also still calling DAA Northwest “home” these days are Bob McConkey and Greg Mahugh, who launched the auction in 1992 after moving to the opposite side of the state from Seattle.

And with two decades gone by, the Spokane, Wash., auction commemorates 20 years today and Thursday with its annual Anniversary Sale promotion.

This afternoon, there is a fleet/lease and dealer consignment sale scheduled, with a gala dinner party and fundraiser for DAA customers at the Spokane Convention Center to follow.

McConkey and Mahugh will make presentations at the event, and then there will be a charitable auction for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, Young Life of the Inland Northwest and the Union Gospel Mission.

DAA is matching all funds generated for these three local charities.

“This community has been wonderful to us and our families,” McConkey said. “Giving back to it is a very natural thing for us to do.”

On Thursday, DAA Northwest will host the Anniversary Sale, which is slated to include 1800 cars, trucks and bikes. There will a giveaway after the sale, where dealers can win up to $7,500 in prizes.