Raising the dough

Even though the final tally isn’t in, it’s safe to say that the silent auction held on October 8 in Fredericksburg, VA was a success. Since it’s inception, OPR has operated on a shoestring budget. The money raised at the auction should provide the organization to operate well into the new year.

The auction itself was a good time and I wish that everyone of OPR’s volunteers could have been there to enjoy it. There was live music provided by a trio of local musicians and plenty of food and spirits.

Items up for bid included several pieces of art including sculptures, paintings and pottery crafted by well-known local artisans. Photographers such as Pulitzer Prize winner David Hume Kennerly, National Geographic’s Steve McCurry and Antonin Kratachvil of the photo agency VII donated images that were among some of the more popular items.

Funky dolls crafted by my good friend Heather Bennett, an American born artist living in Denmark, created some of the most spirited bidding. Out of the four, I came home with two. You can check out Heather’s dolls and her paintings at www.pencilfight.org.

All 50 items in the auction were bought, but many did not reach market value including an autographed photo of comedian Lewis Black which brought in $10 (sorry John). Despite this, I’m happy to call the auction a success. For a first time fundraiser, we not only managed to make a decent chunk of change, but we also spread the word about OPR’s mission.

The money raised will go to paying for supplies, restoration printing and copywork expenses.

I’ll post the final tally once all monies are in and accounted for.

Dave