Contributed to The Stow Independent newspaper
The "Roaring Twenties Auction Gala," sponsored by the Stow Parent Teacher Organization (SPTO), was a roaring success this past Friday night at Wedgewood Pines Country Club. Preliminary accounting estimates the event raised more than $45,000 after expenses for the direct benefit of students at the Pompositticut and Center Schools.
Guests arrived in cocktail and "twenties" attire and were presented with festive bid paddles adorned with black and red feathers. Many women wore black sequined headbands and feathers tucked inside along with flapper-ish black dresses. There was even one man dressed in full tuxedo attire.
As PTO Co-Chair Leslie Bell said in her opening remarks, there are numerous smaller fundraisers throughout the year, most of which also have a direct community benefit, such as the annual Lip Sync and Arts Buffet Festival, both held over the last couple months, as well as the upcoming Pompo/Center Picnic in June. "But this event is special. This event is the big one, and this is why we do it every other year," said Bell. Indeed, the biennial auction is the core fundraiser for the Stow PTO, allowing the organization to provide a host of arts and cultural enrichment programs, extra field trips, materials, and resources that are not part of the Pompositticut or Center School budgets.
The silent auction consisted of over 150 items, generously donated by members of the school community and area businesses. As auctioneer Jim Lewis announced at the onset, "There is something here for every possible taste," and he was not joking. Included were gift certificates of all sorts, from spa treatments to museums to restaurants to camps. There were also many creative homemade items such as a dinner party for three families, monthly pies, and a backyard BBQ. Items also included electronics, art, weekend getaways, and even a tour of the Channel 7 News studio.
One of the silent auction's familiar features was the traditional class plates, creatively decorated with artwork of the students and staff, from Mrs. Priest's kindergarten plate "Now I Know My ABC's" to Mrs. Sullivan's fifth grade double entendre plate "Close Knit Class" adorned with the phrase and an image of yarn and knitting needles—Mrs. Sullivan has long taught her interested students how to knit.
The auction Co-Chairs, Melissa Beck, Dina DeMayo and Melissa Whalen, were astounded by the generosity of the over 200 guests and spoke of how the countless hours of hard work to prepare for the event were well worth their efforts. But the hard work extended way beyond these key women. For example, in addition to the plates, each school class donated a live auction gift, which would not have been possible without the participation of the teachers, students and special parent volunteers who took on lead roles. First-time auction attendee Dave Rein proudly spoke of the work he put into the building and finishing of the picnic table gift from Ms. Wallat's first grade class, decorated with drawings of the kids' favorite picnic foods and protected by several layers of exterior varnish.
The guests were captivated as soon as auctioneer Jim Lewis began the live auction of over forty items. The Co-Chairs added that "Jim's approach was the key to the success of the night. He kept the auction moving along at a fun pace and he has a special knack for helping parents and grandparents realize how truly special and unique the class gifts are." In addition to the class gifts, items included front row seats to the Celtics, Red Sox tickets and a stay at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge.
There were several special live auction moments. The "Me & My Shadow" item gave the student of the bid winner the lucky, or perhaps unlucky, chance to follow Principal Greg Irvine and Vice Principal Lin Winin for the entire school day. The starting bid was $500. Four groups of people started to bid against one another. In the end, a successful bid was set at $3,200. Lewis prompted Winin to stand up and asked her "Do you make that much in a day?" She laughed and shook her head. Lewis replied "Well, this kid now does!" and the room was filled with cheer and laughter. The guests were also amazed when a wooden checkers table made by Mrs. Willard's third grade class was auctioned off at $1,700.
Perhaps the most thrilling event of the night was "Raise the Paddle," which gave auction attendees an opportunity to make a fully tax-deductible contribution. This bid was aimed at raising funds for student activity days, which were eliminated in the school budget for next year, and for new portable keyboards and music equipment at the request of music teacher Judy Dyer. The guests were elated when Lewis began his first bid request for $1,000 and three paddles went up! One bidder was a parent and the other two were grandparents, with one being the mother of the auctioneer. Lewis quietly said "Thanks, Mom" before he started the request for the next tier of bids. All together, "Raise the Paddle" raised more than $7,000. In her letter to the PTO during the auction planning, Dyer wrote that "It is my dream to have one keyboard for every two students." Thanks to the generous donations, her dream will be fulfilled and students' access to learning and creating music will be greatly enhanced.
Overall a good time was had by all and the Stow PTO, Auction Committee, and Pompositticut and Center School teachers and staff are grateful for the generosity shown throughout the night. One thing is for sure: the children will be the "winning" recipients of all that generosity.
For more information, visit our Auction homepage