A fundraiser with flair and pizzazz, a philanthropic grab bag
with class, the auction next month unites the universal wish for a
killer deal and the urge to help others.
Antiques and Collectibles Above the Clouds on July 14 is a
trailblazer for Teller County, the first of its kind to benefit a
collection of nonprofit organizations.
Envisioned by the Rampart Library District board of directors,
the fundraiser features live and silent auctions, each item
designated by the donor for a specific nonprofit organization,
which includes the library.
“Look in your attic. Do you have an old set of Spode china your
great-grandmother left the family or a gorgeous old chiffonier
taking up space in the attic?” said board chair Jean
Baldwin.
“All of the nonprofits known to us were invited to participate,”
said Sharon Quay, library director. “The library is providing all
the publicity, posters, fliers and advertising.”
The auction proceeds will be divided. The library keeps 25
percent to cover the costs of the event and 75 percent goes to the
designated nonprofit.
“The library has to run its own campaign to get our 75 percent
for the endowment fund,” Quay said. “The board of trustees has the
responsibility to assure that finances will carry us through
long-term issues.”
While the library has critical needs such as replacing and
upgrading technology and doing repairs on the building, Quay and
the board are placing their bets on the numbers.
“The more people [are] involved and benefiting from a
fundraiser, the greater the possibility of getting a good
audience,” Quay said. “Every fundraiser demands a critical crowd.
We also thought it would be the library’s contribution to a broader
community of nonprofits.”
Admittedly, the fundraiser is a gamble for the library but one
the board feels is worth taking. “You don’t want to negate the
other nonprofits – it’s a tricky thing – it occurred to me the
trickiest part is going to be getting our 75 percent,” Quay said.
“You get into a scramble for time and space and attention. It
seemed that, if we were centralizing our focus, we might have a
better chance – all of us – at being successful.”
An all-day event July 14, the silent auction, for items valued
between $25 and $75, begins at 10 a.m. while the live auction for
items valued at $75 and up, begins at 1 p.m. The live auction items
are available for viewing in the morning. The rain date for the
auction is July 21.
While the library is generally regarded as one providing
peaceful interludes, the fundraiser promises to be a rip
roarer.
“We want noise – we’ve got music all day and concessions, so
when people drive by they’ll see something going on and it might
draw them in to see what’s going on,” Quay said.
Donors can bring their antiques and collectibles to the library
from 4-6 pm. June 19, 26 and July 3; and from 5-7 p.m. June 21, 28
and July 5; and from 10 a.m. to noon June 23, 30 and July
7.
“This is not a flea market; this is a higher level,” Quay said.
“It gives every nonprofit an opportunity to raise money at one
single event and the auction gets a critical audience to attend the
event, expanding the base of what the library might
attract.”
For information, call 719-687-9281.