Adams County 4-H does an auction every year with some really fun baskets! This year our club did a Family Birthday Party! I was able to get over $400 worth of items donated, a birthday cake from a local bakery and a cake from Super WalMart; Current Catalog donated, a scrapbooking store; family fun center; skate rink; oh gosh I can't think anymore but the basket won fav and ravs from all.
Another club did a Lord of the Rings basket. Value was over $900! Gardening basket, an entire Tuf Shed, sewing baskets, vet (animal care) package....the garden basket goes well!
nonsequitur- I can't wait to talk to you!! [img]smile.gif[/img]
I just talked to the local fire department about what they might donate for a silent auction. They said they were having problems because they had donated dinner at the firehouse but sometimes they got called out and had to cancel Also they had problems with who was supposed to pay for the meal.
We talked for a while and came up with a couple ideas to remedy both problems.
1 Lunch with the firefighter at school. Get a local pizza place to donate the food. Set out 3-6 gift certificates for 3-6 students to have pizza with a firefighter during school lunch. You could do it in an unused room so it's special. If they happen to be called away, try another day and have regular school lunch be the back up. Make sure the certificate says what two or three days you will try for so people don't bid and then get upset because they have planned a vacation on that day.
2 If you can't do it at lunch, do breakfast with a fire fighter 30 minutes before school starts. Bagels, donuts, fruit, milk and juice aren't that much and can probably be donated by a local grocer or even Krispy Kreme donuts.
I am loving these ideas ! Please send more ! I want to be able to offer much needed new ideas for the Auction this coming year ! We don't have anything like this. Grateful !! Judi
We have a teacher from India who cooked an Indian dinner for 6; that was a big hit.
Art teacher has a side business doing decorative painting, donated a day of painting to do a mural in a kid's room.
Name the Driveway -- They name the driveway for the school year, and at the end of the year, the family gets to take home the street sign; it costs us about $70 for the sign, but the last few years it has gone for $300-$500.
Computer technology teacher donated 2 1-hour computer lessons for a child OR adult (the parent who bought it did for herself not her kid).
Lunch off-campus with the principal.
A summer day-trip for three kids with three of the teachers to an aquarium and science museum.
THis year our "unusual favorites" include:
A ride to school in the fire truck
Principal for a day
Laser tag birthday party
Thomas Kinkade painting
Free moon bounce rental for birthday party
One of our big hits was "Dinner for 4" at our local firehouse. Just call your local fire house and ask if they would be willing to cook dinner for four people as a raffle prize.
