Auction
Auction Nets Over $140,000 – A record!
Thanks to a record turnout of 360 alumni, parents and friends who came to dedicate the new athletic center and to celebrate the 19 years of service that John and Linda Brown have given to Solebury, this year’s spring dinner auction was a resounding success. The event was held in the new John D. Brown Athletic Center giving a whole new look and much more space in which to mingle, eat and bid. Harpist Alison Simpson ’71 and her trio provided elegant music during the silent auction and auctioneer BJ Jennings of 1st Class Benefits again made the live auction an exciting event. Everyone agreed this was the best auction ever.
In addition to the wide variety of items to be bid on – from a day at a spa to a week in the California wine country – the crowd donated over $46,000 for a new faculty enrichment endowment named to honor of John and Linda. Thanks to a generous gift of $25,000 received a few weeks after the auction, the fund now totals $71,000, which will generate over $2,000 a year for faculty to use for summer coursework or educational travel.
Winner of the “Best of Live” raffle was won by 2005 alumnus, RK Cyktor. He chose the week of vacation at Oak Island, North Carolina. This raffle sold 100 tickets at $50 each for a chance to win your choice of one of the 22 items on the live auction. Other raffle winners included parent Ruth Miale who won the Ipod Touch donated by Home & School, and Tad Evans ’51 who won the $500 gift certificate to the Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City, donated by Rick Rathe ’66.
Extraordinary thanks go to parent auction chair Whitney Parker-Klimpel and her committee, and Rachel Eichem, parent and auction coordinator, who all worked endless hours to make this year’s auction such a success.
Special thanks to our Platinum sponsors Comm Solutions Company, Direct Airways, E. Allen Reeves, Inc. and Firstrust Bank, our Gold sponsors Susan and Stephen Couture, RMJM Hillier Architecture, and Pegasus Emergency Group and all of our other parents, alumni and businesses whose contributions helped to ensure a successful event.
We also want to thank past parents Dick and Sally Phillips of Phillips Fine Wine in Stockton, NJ for their assistance with the wine and spirits, to Lou and Anne Cyktor of Lark Nurseries for donating the weeping flowering trees, which are always a hit with bidders and to Cyd Fenimore and David Christiansen for donating the Solebury beer glasses. Thanks to current parents Karen and Alan Sheriff for purchasing all new colorful tablecloths for the silent auction tables, to Vicki Delaney for the centerpieces and to Karen Lewis for the balloon displays. As she always does, Carol Van Duyne ’52 donated the new Solebury tote bags.
The delicious food for the Auction and Alumni Day was prepared by Solebury's own chefs Steve Ackerman, Carmen DiFoggio, and Joe Kienzle. In addition, we wish to thank the following businesses who donated hors d'oeuvres and food: Jim Hamilton of Hamilton's Grill, Lambertville, Havana Restaurant, New Hope, and Max Hansen ’79 of Max Hansen Caterers, Gardenville. Thanks also go to Beverly Berkeley for the school slide show, Chris Langhart for technical assistance, and to Bill Falabella and Charles Gale ’03 for keeping the computers running. Of course, we couldn’t serve everyone dinner or run the actual event without the hours of volunteer help from Solebury’s students and faculty. They were truly amazing!
Don’t miss next year’s auction: Saturday, May 2!
