learning to fly: $30,000 later...

Today I experienced a very different church fundraiser than I had ever been a part of. Growing up in youth group I helped with many a spaghetti dinner, bake sale, yard sale, or auction to raise money to go on our mission trips. Yet this church wide auction at San Marino took fund raising to the next level! For approximately the last 3 months I have been on the auction committee--a group that worked tirelessly to a create a fiesta themed live and silent auction and catered dinner. I was amazed at the talents and knowledge of the people on the committee--San Marino definitely knows how to throw a party! Here are some pictures of the event...

These are some of our youth helping to decorate the fellowship hall and tables by folding napkins.

This is Cami--one of the youth I know best, before the auction started. Many of the youth were our servers for the night--they were dressed up in a uniform of black pants, white shirts, and brightly colored sashes.

Don and Karen Berns (our new associate pastor) are on the church patio for the silent auction. Items included theme park tickets, dinner with Baby Oh (which made $100's!), and a spa package among other things. It was hard to win anything--people kept being out bid.

One of my favorite auction committee members--Bob--went all out in dressing festively for the occasion! I'm not sure I'll recognize him on Sunday mornings in his suit.

And one of the biggest items of the night was a live auction item--a ride with Jeff O'Grady (our senior pastor) on his motorcycle. Jeff surprised everyone by riding his motorcycle to kick off the live auction part. Here he is clad in his leather. The item that was most popular was having dinner with Jeff and his wife Lynn in the church manse. That went for $1500--and another couple wanted it so badly that they volunteerily gave another $1500. $3000 to eat with the pastor--wow...