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The ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund “Auction with A Twist” Returns!
We’re Looking for Some Great Prizes!

by Scott A. Meyers, ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund Treasurer

Last year’s “Spin to Win” fund-raiser for the Illinois Pharmacy Action Fund at the ICHP Annual Meeting was a great success but back by popular demand this year is the beloved “Auction with A Twist”!  Truly the most successful of the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund fund-raising events, raising over $22,000 total the previous five times it was held! 

To refresh your memories or in case you’re new to ICHP this year, the “Auction With A Twist” is technically a Chinese auction featuring outstanding prizes donated by ICHP members, pharmacy departments, colleges of pharmacy, and other friends of ICHP.  From Wikipedia we find that a Chinese auction is a combination of a raffle and an auction.  The difference between a raffle and a Chinese auction is that in a raffle with multiple prizes, there is one “hat” from which names are drawn for all prizes.  That means you may win something you don’t want or need, but in a Chinese auction each prize has its own “hat” (or in our case a mason jar).  This allows participants purchase their tickets and choose which prize or prizes to focus on, as opposed to having a first, second, third, prize, etc.

Each of the previous “Auctions With A Twist” featured a variety of prizes that included a flat screen TV; iPads; Fitbits; Microsoft Surface; Apple TV;  tablets; tickets to the White Sox, Cubs and Bulls; lawn chairs; text books; college logo gear; a weekend getaway; ICHP logo gear; handmade jewelry; golf clubs; a special round of golf; one-of-a-kind paintings; framed photographs; a variety of gift baskets and cards; and even a backyard cookout.  The online “Pre-Auction” provides ICHP members who can’t get to the ICHP Annual Meeting with the same chances to win these great prizes.  So everyone has a chance to win!  We would love to have you there on that Saturday of the Annual Meeting so you can take possession of your prizes and immediately begin to enjoy them, but previous year’s online winners can verify that you can win and you will receive your prizes!

A great way to participate in this year’s Auction, is to team up with your ICHP colleagues to donate even bigger prizes by pooling contributions.  A donation of $25 from you and several co-workers could purchase all kinds of great prizes!  TVs, tablets, Surface, or huge gift basket!  $50 donations from you and 9 of your colleagues could purchase a really large flat screen TV if you’re a savvy shopper!  Providing a contribution from your pharmacy department will earn recognition and appreciation from all of your pharmacy colleagues, create some good-natured competition with other pharmacy departments around the state, and will still provide each contributor with the individual recognition as an ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund donor.  Individual contributors are certainly welcome too!  Whether the prize is a gift you’d like to win yourself or if you have a special talent, hobby or skill and want to share with your pharmacy colleagues, auction it off to help the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund and the pharmacy profession.  Gift baskets of all types, Gift Cards, Spa visits, theater tickets, designer purses, sports memorabilia, and much more are reasonable individual gifts that will draw lots of attention and even more tickets from prospective prize winners.   Your imagination is the only limit on what prizes will raise the most excitement at this year’s “Auction with A Twist”!

With the ICHP Annual Meeting held on September 13-15, the prizes should be received by ICHP no later than August 20^th so that we can photograph each prize and place it and a description on the ICHP Website for “Pre-Auction” bidding that takes place two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.  If you plan to provide a special prize and have logistical concerns, please contact the ICHP office for guidance.  If you have a unique prize but aren’t sure it will draw the bids worthy of its value, give us a call too.  We’ll be happy to tell you what was hot and what was not in in the past! 

Tickets for the “Auction with A Twist” may be purchased online beginning on August 27^th and ending on September 10^th or they may be purchased in person at the Annual Meeting all day Thursday and Friday, September 13^th & 14^th and until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 15^th.  Tickets purchased online will be placed in the mason jars of your choice before the Annual Meeting and the jars will be thoroughly shaken each day of the Annual Meeting and just before the drawing is made.  Prize winners will be announced at the Saturday Awards Luncheon but you need not be present to win.

Help us make this year’s “Auction with A Twist” an even greater success than in the past and hopefully win a prize or two of your own!  It’s a fun way to get into the act of advocacy for the profession!