Apple cider, maple syrup and donuts, oh my! Have you ever experienced the BBC auction? Let me give you a glimpse into the things that touched me this past weekend:
Campers come and help sell the items on the live auction by presenting the items to the audience – little do they know what an impact that has on the sale of the item!
Counselors and staff return with donated items- or they are like “mystery shoppers”, proxy bidding for those online bids that have been submitted.
People travel from places far & wide to come spend a day in the beautiful countryside and support camp.
A fabulous auctioneer from PA (Sandy Alderfer of Alderfer Auction Company) comes with his entourage to most definitely get more money per item with his perfect blend of humor, compassion and philanthropic encouragement.
Items are baked, chopped, squeezed, pressed, fried, ground, and cooked with loving hands to provide nourishment for the crowds and yummy additions to the sale!
Oh yes, and then the money…. People pay crazy amounts for everyday items. 15 people chose to simply donate $200-$400 each to send a camper to camp. And a wonderful “matching donor” (Glenn and Diane Moyer) agreed to double what was raised per dollar for any amount raised between $20,000 and $40,000.
Maybe it is because I didn’t grow up going to auctions that I am just awed by it all. Maybe because I truly love BBC – the place that it is, the kids, staff and counselors, and all that it represents. Maybe it’s because I know that there is something bigger than me out there, and He always shows himself to me when I’m there. Whatever the reason, I left the 2013 BBC Auction with a thankful heart and a happy soul. And the icing on the cake is that through all of this we keep making progress towards this wonderful goal of keeping the camp alive and thriving for generations to come. With the additional money raised, we have now raised well over $1 million towards the goal of $1.8 million for a new pavilion at camp.
For more information on that project (Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project) see the website or sign up for emails or text updates.
Flo
(aka Beth Goshow)
Mission Possible Communications Manager