An Auction with a Twist Fundraiser at the Annual Meeting

by Scott A. Meyers, ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund Treasurer
June 1, 2010

For the past several years the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund, ICHP’s Political Action Committee, has held some sort of fundraiser at the Spring and Annual Meetings. The 2010 Annual Meeting in August will be no exception. However, this year we are asking for all of our members to consider making a contribution to the fund to create fun and excitement for everyone, including those who won’t even be at the Annual Meeting.

This year the “Auction with a Twist” will take the principles of a silent auction and combine them with some principles of a raffle. First, we are asking members to contribute a prize to be auctioned/raffled. It can be in the form of gift baskets of beauty-salon style products, exotic coffees and teas, new or lightly read books, DVDs, gourmet foods, antique pharmacy memorabilia or anything else you have ever seen in a gift basket. Or you can be creative. If you make homemade jewelry, paint oil or watercolor paintings, knit, or make candles, consider putting some of your own handy work on the auction block. I personally am going to offer one free round of golf with the ICHP Executive Vice President at Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, voted Illinois’ best municipal course by Golf Digest in 2009, with a cart and a hot dog and Coke at the turn…a value of nearly $70! Being able to beat me (and you probably will) will make it priceless! I hope a few of you will get even more creative and contribute some really unique prizes.

So how does everyone get a shot at the prizes, even if they won’t be at the Annual Meeting? Easy. We are asking for all donations to be sent to the ICHP office or at least described to the ICHP office staff three weeks in advance of the meeting or by August 10th, so that we can list all the prizes on the ICHP website. Then the twist comes into play.

The twist is that with a simple silent auction, the last and highest bid received before a predetermined deadline wins the prize. However, with our “Auction with a Twist”, we will sell raffle tickets (5 tickets for $10, 15 tickets for $20 and 50 tickets for $50), and the buyer will place these tickets in any container in front of the prize or prizes they want to win (if present at Annual Meeting) or designate via email to ICHP staff where their tickets should be placed (if unable to attend the Annual Meeting). Tickets will be available for purchase beginning two weeks in advance of the meeting and continue online until the day before the meeting date. Then live purchases will take over throughout the meeting until just before the Saturday Awards Luncheon. One winning ticket for each prize donated will be drawn, and the winner will be notified during the Awards Luncheon or on Monday following the Annual Meeting if they were not present.

Everyone has a chance to contribute, and everyone has a chance to win! Contributions to the “Auction with a Twist” are not tax deductible, but they help ICHP take your voice to Springfield and around the State. Show off your talents, get rid of that pharmacy memorabilia that you used to think would look great in your personal pharmacy museum that never materialized or do a little creative shopping and put together a basket you’d love to win. No matter what, consider making a donation today by contacting the ICHP office at (815) 227-9292 or me via e-mail at scottm@ichpnet.org with your gift basket or prize. Watch for the email blast informing you that the prizes have been set and the tickets are on sale. Then let the fun begin. We hope this is the most successful fundraiser yet!

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