By Sandra Hixson-Matthews, for the Reporter
Winter is coming fast and as the weather is rapidly changing and the nights are getting colder, my thoughts go to the people in our community who are at risk. There are many single parent families who are one mishap away from living in their car or worse. Vine Maple Place provides emergency housing and self sufficiency programs for up to 12 families at a time. The nonprofit’s new project, Stable Families, is this year’s Fund-a-Need at Maple Valley Rotary’s annual auction set for Saturday, Oct. 19, at Green River Community College. The program focuses on catching families before they end up at the point where homelessness is inevitable. Through this program, Vine Maple Place can help scores more families than what it has physical housing for. Next time you feel the chill in the air that harkens the coming of winter, please consider filling a seat at the auction.
What does it really cost to attend an auction? Let’s be real. We know that most people who attend auctions spend some money. Some spend quite a lot and some, not so much, but we all know that if we go, there is bound to be something we just can’t leave without. We also know that fear of overspending can keep some people from attending at all, but then they hear about what an amazing time they missed and are left wondering why they didn’t go. Maple Valley Rotary is hosting its 24th annual auction which, since its humble beginnings to fund scholarships alone, has become the major fundraising activity for the entire year’s budget. In order for it to be successful, it must be well attended and must have offerings that create buzz. We are asking our friends in the community to support us with attendance, donations and sponsorship. Our very generous sponsors are making it possible to put all proceeds including the sale of dinner tickets toward the many projects and programs the club does or supports throughout the year.
I would like to talk about the benefits to our attendees. Since we know everyone is thinking long and hard about how to spend their money, how much to give to charitable organizations, how much to spend on entertainment and vacations, etc., I have to say that after attending eight or nine Maple Valley Rotary auctions, I consider them to be at the very top of the list of perfect evenings out. The décor is always lovely, attendees are dressed to the nines, the hospitality is over the top, and the party atmosphere is palpable. It is just plain fun and the dancing is as much fun for those who watch as for those on the dance floor! I got to sample the menu which is absolutely marvelous this year and Bill VanRuff is going to continue the champagne greeting that Sean Henderson started last year. You don’t get a high quality meal out with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and entertainment anywhere for the price. Speaking of entertainment, our emcee Denny Pierre and auctioneer Brett Habenicht, are two of the funniest people I have ever known. Prepare to spend an evening laughing and building up your endorphin supply — which saves on doctor bills. This is not going to be your typical live auction!
And back to conscientious spending, let’s be honest here. We all know that the silent part of any auction contains bargains. There are items ranging from themed baskets for entertaining, enjoying with family or giving as gifts, to trips large and small, theater tickets, household items, sports memorabilia, massage, and many things you didn’t even know you could get for a song. Your entertainment and Christmas shopping budget can be stretched at the auction. The most exciting thing as far as I’m concerned is the raffle. We don’t have it nailed down yet so I can’t tell you exactly what the item is but it is a trip, and one that is so amazing that the ticket price isn’t even 1 percent of the value! You must attend to participate and win and tickets are limited. I’m going to buy mine before I do anything else!
What I am trying to say here is that attending our auction will be an evening of entertainment that is a terrific value in itself and that what you spend at the auction can actually save you money in several categories such as entertainment, travel, gift giving, and who knows what else. Transferring money you would spend anyway to do double duty as community support makes good financial sense.
With the auction little more than a week away we are at the critical part now. We still need silent auction items and a few very amazing live auction items. If you have a fantastic idea, would like to donate an item or experience or know of something or someone we can get, please contact Bill VanRuff at billvanruff@msn.com. He is also your contact if you would like to sponsor the auction and have your business highlighted there, on Facebook, on our website, and in the catalog, or if you would like to attend — by the way, major sponsors receive tickets to attend, as well. Please consider joining us for the event of the year!
We would like to thank our sponsors for their support.
Major Sponsors are: Edward Jones, Brody Kunz and Denny Pierre; Allstate, Patti Jenson; Fred Meyer; and Wilderness Chevron Auto Service. Additional sponsors are Powel & Associates, Valley Medical (including a food drive for the food bank), Yarrow Bay, Claffey’s Painting, DCS Corp, Toyota of Puyallup, Hawthorn Tree Massage, Valley Automotive, 4 Corners Self Storage, and The Cedar Grill.
In kind sponsors and supporters are Covington-Maple Valley-Covington Reporter, Voice of the Valley, Buds and Blooms. Special program sponsor is Allstate, Dale Jenson who will be doing a wine toss (you could win bottles of wine – another budget enhancer). A few more sponsors have come on board but at press time I did not have their information so look for them in the coming weeks.
