In an effort to raise money for Veterans organizations, The Midtown Tavern in Halifax is auctioning off its chairs.

They were used in the tavern for decades at its original location on the corner of Grafton and Prince Streets.

Since the bar’s move, people have been asking the owners what became of the chairs, that some patrons had become sentimental about.

Instead of giving them away, Midtown’s owners have decided to raise some money for veterans organizations, who have been frequent clientele over the years.

Federal NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer says one of the Midtown’s owners Bob Grant asked for his help in deciding what to do with the proceeds.

“When Mr. Grant called me asking where do you think the money should go, I said ‘well if we do this during veterans’ week it’d be an appropriate thing for two of many veterans’ organizations to receive those funds’ and he said ‘absolutely’,” Stoffer explained.

The Walter Callow wheelchair bus, which provides transportation for Veterans and the physically disabled, and Veterans Emergency Transition Services, also known as V.E.T.S., which helps give transient and homeless veterans the essentials during emergency housing situations, have been chosen as the groups that will benefit from the auction.

The chairs have been outfitted with an engraved plaque with the words “Midtown Tavern 1949 – 2009,” the years the original location was open.

The silent auction starts tomorrow at the new Midtown-Boomers at Grafton and Duke Streets with Stoffer kicking the event off at noon.

Hopeful chair owners have until Dec. 15 to place their bids with the highest 100 bidders getting a chair.