Hello ESA Community!
I am writing to introduce the coordination team for the upcoming Silent Auction 2015 – Claire MacKenzie, Rochelle Douris and Tracey Ehl Harrison; that’s me. We are looking forward to jumping in to work with the ESA community and building on all of the great stuff that’s been done in previous years to support the programs at ESA. The Silent Auction and Craft Fair will be taking place on Saturday, November 21, 2015. Mark your calendar!
When my daughter was a grade 9 student, I have to say that I was blown away by the school environment and the creativity and extent of student talent. Wow. I bet planning is well underway for this year’s shows and so it’s fitting that we are up and running quickly too with our planning for the craft fair and silent auction, SESAT’s largest annual fundraiser. Last year, together we raised over $14,000 on this one day. These fund helped all of our students for the rest of the year.
It’s time to connect with your networks and neighbourhoods to find some great donations for the 2015 auction. Be creative….maybe you know a chef who’d give a lesson for 2 or someone with a cottage they rent out. Maybe your sister-in-law owns a car dealership and has some extras on the lot…Maybe your favourite travel agent, spa, restaurant or clothing spot would be willing to pitch in. Maybe your student would be willing to paint a family portrait, do a photo shoot or invite a cameo appearance in their film.
Every donation counts. Don’t be afraid to THINK BIG. Last year, we were able to auction getaway weekends, sailing excursions, tickets to many great events, and weekend rental of a luxury car, all combined to raise the most in auction history. Our ESA families have contributed above and beyond and we hope that will continue. We’ve also got a great list of organizations who have been generous before and SESAT members will be reaching out to them again.
We’ve got a couple of tools for you to use in seeking donations: an introductory letter; and, the donation form (see the two attachments below). It’s important that our donors fill out the form, so we know who to thank and so that we can send them a tax receipt. Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $25. (Please note that gift cards and in-kind services are not eligible for tax receipts.) You’ll see that we’re seeking all donations by Tuesday, November 17. That way, we can have all of the bid sheets ready to go and, importantly, create a thank you video that includes all of our donors. The video will be shown at the Silent Auction and posted on the ESA website for all to enjoy!
If you have some ideas, questions or are able to source a donation, please contact me with the good news at tracey@ehlharrison.com. We will get in touch regularly to let you know how it’s going.
Thank you for your help! It’s a silent auction, but together let’s make some NOISE!