School-wide fundraiser raises over $178,000
What do an entire beef cow, a signed Derek Carr’s Raiders jersey, or a trip for two aboard a Fresno PD helicopter have in common? They were all sold at the FCS auction.
With hundreds in attendance, Fresno Christian hosted its 35th annual auction on March 10, 2018. Although recently undergoing a triple bypass heart surgery, Superintendent Jeremy Brown hosted the event alongside Chuck Trogdon as the master of ceremonies. Joel Bleeker is a professional auctioneer who led the live auction.
The silent auction, dessert tables, live auction, paddle game and raffle drawings kept attendees active throughout the night.
Fugazzi’s catered the event, serving several courses to satisfy the guests.
During the silent auction, guests mingled under a large tent, provided by Expo Party Rentals. A plethora of items were available to bid on, including Apple Airpods, Beats headphones, wine, and date nights.
Each elementary class donated a unique class project, featuring creativity from all students.
The Auction committee members consist of Marcia Bimat, Jeremy Brown, Jaime DeGroot, Dawn Hinton, Sharon King, Tara Luginbill, Christine Petersen, Christy Rocca and Nicole Tucker.
The Feather was very active on Twitter throughout the night, posting videos like this one.
Follow Feather staffer, Logan Lewis, ‘20, as he introduces us to the #FCauction, March 10. Stay tuned to the Feather’s social media accounts for updates through the night. @fresnochristian #thefeather pic.twitter.com/myZMlsV0ej
— The Feather Online (@thefeather) March 11, 2018
Dawn Hinton is an alumni and parent of three students currently enrolled at Fresno Christian.
“It’s the main fundraiser for our school,” Hinton said. “It helps keep our school afloat. I love that it supports the school, but it is also just a great time to catch up with people that I have not gotten to see in a long time. Sometimes alumni will show up, which is so much fun. It’s just a great time where we get to be together.”
The putting green landscape package sold for the most money at the auction, and a close second was chef Angelique Trevino’s five-course gourmet meal for 10.
Marvell French, Auction Committee Chair, shares about what it takes to put on an event like the auction. French has been a part of the FC community since 1994 when her daughters joined the campus.
“By the time this evening is over, we start planning for next years auction,” French said. “One thing to prepare for is the theme, but also you want to start working with people on saving the date for the next year. It is important to also start bringing in sponsors and auction items.
“I have been apart of the foundation board for over 12 years,” French continued. “My job as chair of the auction is to fund-raise and make sure the money is coming in. From the auction, I hope that the money raised goes towards making the school grow but also for the young people to thrive and to do great things in their life for Jesus.”
Behind the scenes, Brenda Warkentin, Lisa Dooley, Tami Grimmius, Melissa Hyatt and Lisa Raynes kept charge of all bids, raffle tickets and more.
Although the attendance was mainly adults, there were plenty of leadership students there to help. They sold raffle tickets and paddles throughout the night, there was even a competition among them to see who could sell the most.
Landon Bell, ’21 helped volunteer at the auction, and it was also his first year attending.
“Most of the people didn’t know what the raffle was,” Bell said. “However, most were interested. Some people were highly generous and bought numerous tickets, which was pretty cool to see.”
Megan Leblanc, ‘20, was part of the team who sold the most tickets and paddles.
“It was quite fun,” LeBlanc said. “I loved doing it with my fellow leadership students and I think we raised a lot of money,” LeBlanc said.
The auction raised a total of over $178,000, which will be used to support the school’s mission to help equip young people for life and service.
Last year’s auction made over $200,000. To read more about the 2017 auction, read FC hosts record-breaking 34th annual auction.
The slideshow below shows images from all around the auction:
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For more articles, read The Feather takes NYC 2018: Day 1 recap.
