The Valley of the Sun Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) pays tribute to working journalists and others with its annual Arizona First Amendment Awards and other recognition awards. This year, the Valley of the Sun SPJ has partnered with the Arizona Press Club and will co-present its awards at a reception set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 at The Duce, 525 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. Tickets may be purchased at: http://azpressclub.eventbrite.com/.

As part of this new collaboration, SPJ will be hosting a Silent Auction at the event, with proceeds in part benefiting scholarships for Arizona journalism students. So bring plenty of cash or your checkbook (sorry, no credit cards) to bid on some really great items, including:

• Autographed photo of Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, baseball hat & mini pennant, and a voucher good for four tickets to the infield box seating area (valued at $200), good for any regular season game through Sept. 29.

• Two tickets to Nearly Naked Theatre’s production, “Side Show,” May 18-June 8 at Phoenix Theatre’s Little Theatre, 100 E. McDowell St., Phoenix; and a $50 gift card to Hula’s Modern Tiki at Central & Highland avenues.

• Two tickets to Mesa Encore Theatre’s production of “Noises Off,” May 31-June 16, at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, in the Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse, and a $100 gift card to any Fox Restaurant Concepts eatery, including Sauce in Mesa.

• Two tickets to “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” June 4-16 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (SCPA), 7380 E. 2nd St., and dinner for two at Vincent on Camelback, 3939 E. Camelback Road.

• A voucher good for 4 tickets to Greasepaint Youtheatre’s musical production, “How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying),” June 21-30 at 7020 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, and a $50 gift card to Portillo’s Hot Dogs in Scottsdale.

• Golf for two at one of Phoenix’s municipal golf courses, some balls and a golfer’s “kit”

• $25 gift card to My Sister’s Closet, beaded scarf, and unique box purse

• Italian Gift Basket, with 1.5L bottle of BV Century Cellars merlot, 2 wine glasses, 2 wine cosies, small Italian cookbook, pasta and sauce, bruchetta topping, etc.

• Coffee & Chocolate Basket, with $50 in gift cards to Dutch Brothers drive-thru coffee, Italian Roast coffee, Torani caramel syrup, bottle of caramel sauce, ceramic mug, travel mug, brownie mix in a bottle, fudge sauce, biscotti, etc.

• Family membership – up to four people – to the Heard Museum of Phoenix (value $75), Arizona Highways coffee table book of the Grand Canyon, and an Indian Fair and Market sweatshirt featuring a reproduction of a Navajo weaving, and an authentic Navajo smudge stick.