Stevenson groups turning to Web for fundraising
Eschewing the traditional bake sale or car wash, six Stevenson High School groups are taking a very different and very modern approach to fundraising.
The organizations have teamed up to launch an online auction that begins at 9 a.m. Friday. More than 140 items will be available, including travel packages, tickets to the 2011 Tony Awards and a round of golf at a private suburban club.
The auction the first of its kind for the Lincolnshire school will benefit the Stevenson Foundation, the Patriot Parent Association, the Band and Color Guard Parents Organization, the Bravo! Theater Boosters, the Sports Boosters and the National Honor Society.
“The Stevenson Foundation was looking for a collaborative fundraising idea where we could partner with our parent booster groups and support as many different segments of our student population as possible,” Gregory Diethrich, the foundation's executive director, said in an e-mail.
The idea for the auction came from the parent of a Stevenson alumnus who has run online auctions to benefit an organization she created, Diethrich said.
A clickable banner on the Stevenson High School website, d125.org, will take interested bidders to the auction site.
Items on the auction block will include:
Ÿ A pair of tickets to the 2011 Tony Awards ceremony in New York City, and a three-night hotel stay.
Ÿ A seven-day vacation at a Florida country club.
Ÿ Two tickets to the Chicago Bulls Dec. 13 game against the Indiana Pacers.
Ÿ A batting-practice session with the Stevenson varsity baseball team.
Ÿ A round of golf for three players at the private Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, accompanied by the club's head professional.
One of the more unusual items on the auction list is a solid crystal Coca-Cola bottle commemorating the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, Diethrich said. It's one of only 500 produced and was donated by Stevenson High board member Merv Roberts, who also sits on the foundation board.
The description for each auction item will say which group the sale benefits.
Organizers hope to raise $10,000 by the time the auction ends Nov. 8.