For those who have gotten RedBox, how long did it take to get your cards/codes? I got a yes on 2/12 but the cards are not here yet. Our event is on 3/21. Thanks!

I got a YES from applebees in 10 minutes after going to their web site. I have to pick up in my local Restaurant next week . www.DohertyInc.com/. They also list Panera Bread and Noodles and Company but I wasn't able to get to their page when I clicked on them. Going to keep trying.

I usually have luck with the local sports teams. If the major league team doesn't donate sometimes the minor leage team does.Also some of the local colleges have donated tickets to game or shows as well. Have gotten in the past from

Brooklyn Cyclones ( 4 tickets)
NY Jets ( autographed ball)
NY Giants ( poster)
NY Islanders( tickets)
NY Rangers( poster)
Long Island Ducks( autographed ball)
Hofstra ( tix to Lacrosse Game )
Molloy College ( Tickets to a show at Madison Theatre)

I have also written to the Bronx Zoo and gotten tickets as well as local museums and childrens theatres companies with sucess.

But we always have the most sucess with local places. I find if I am going somewhere and spending money..If I hit them up after I just spent money I usually get a better response then just walking in . I also have brought my kids with me..hard to say no to the kids...lol

Good Luck everyone.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. Today I spent a long time calling all my cities I sent out request for and got so many no's but one yes. Depressing yes but I will keep trying. I'm afraid to add up all my hours I have spent researching and filling out forms.

Good luck to everyone who has their events coming up.

Hi! Our 10th Annual Trivia Auction is tomorrow night!! After 6 months of working solo I'm so excited about our donations! Here is the list:


54th Street Restaurant Two $20 gift cards
A & R Paints & Crafts $25 gift certificate
Ace Hardware Gift cards 2- $25 gift certificates /Fincham’s
Ace Hardware Bucket of supplies
Adeline Amen
Alfonzos Pizzeria gift certificate/$28.91 (Family Special)
American Eagle $25 gift card
American Eagle $25 gift card
American Girl (Marie-Grace doll) $110 is the value
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Reno, Nev. 3 Night stay value $300
Bella Milano $25
Blue Harbor Resort & Spa certificate for half price
Cardinals 2 – tickets
Cardinals 2 – tickets
Cassen’s Chrysler $ 100 Gift
Casey’s Gen. Store $50 gift card and 4 free large pizzas
Cheese cake Factory $25 value(2)
Chelsea Piers/NY $60 gift card
Chicago Bears
Chicago Cubs Popcorn Tin
Children’s Book by Jan Brett
Cracker Barrel 2 free dinners
Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake
Darrell Wittenberg
Debbie Wittenberg
Tim Wittenberg
Dennis & Lori Daiber $50 Porters Gift Cert. & Triad Gift Basket ($75 Value)
Disney World (4 one day passes) $496 Value
Double Tree by Hilton (one night stay & Bfst for 2)
Drury 1 night stay
Eckert’s One Kid’s Cooking Class
Edible Arrangements Gift Card $15 Value
Edison's gift card $20
Edna Meier Plant
Fazolli’s 10-Spaghetti dinners
FCB box full of goodies
Fudpuckers $50 gift cert
GCS Credit Union Gift Basket
Grand Country Music Hall in Branson 4 complimentary tickets Value per ticket is $71.42
Grimm & Glory 2 Florist
The Oller Family
Heather DiRosa
Highlights for children 2-1 year magazine subscriptions $140
Holiday Inn Express 1 free night stay $110 value
Holiday World Splashin Safari – 2 tickets $90 value
Illinois Railway Museum 2-one-day Family Pass Value $38-$50
Jim Lyons $50 Donation
Jim Walls & Family
JM Motors (Ryan Kaffer) $150 Car Detail, $100 Donation
Jewelry by Pink Calyx $50 gift card
Kelli Davidson Basket
Keurig Coffee
Karen & Alan Kilzer
Kathy Brumm
Klutch club $50 value
Kohl’s Grant $500
Laura Thomas Partylite
Legoland Free Child Admission
Levo & Donohoo LLC 2 Repertory Theatre passes
Linda Craig
Little Gym of Edwardsville 2 camp passes
Lottawatta Creek Restaurant/FVH $20 gift card
Lynn Fitzgerald
L.W.M.L Sweets for a year
Main Attraction 1 blouse value $48
Magic House 8 free admission
Mark & Cindy Ponce
Market Basket $20 gift card
Mathnasium
Metro East Lutheran High School Gift Basket
Minnesota Zoo 4 admission & Parking Passes value $86
Missouri Botanical Garden 4 passes $32 value
Oak Brook Golf Club 2-18 hole during week days
Otter Box Free Case for phone value at $60
Panera Bread Company (bagels for a year)
Peel Pizza $25 gift cert.
Penny Schuessler 4 pies
Pere Marquette $50 towards restaurant
Porters Steakhouse $50
Portrait Innovations $100 gift certificate
Prescription Plus 2- $10 gift certificates
Raging Rivers Water-park 2- one day passes value of each is $25.70
Ram’s Autograph poster w/shirt (Laurinatis)
Ripley’s Believe it or not (Branson) 2-admissions value $36
Robert Munsch
Ruth Schmitt Painting
Schlafly Brewery Tour VIP Brewery and Tasting $100 value
Schnucks gift card $25
Science Center 2 VIP passes $70 value
Scott & Shawndel Rose
Sea World/Orlando 4 admissions $368 value
Sea World Aqiatica 4 passes $235 value
Shedd Aquarium Four general admission tickets
Silver Dollar City 2 passes value $120
Six Flags 2-one day tickets to Six Flags, St. Louis
Spin City, Troy, IL 5 admissions
St. Louis City Museum 1 admission
St. Paul’s Pre School 3’s Gift Basket
St. Paul’s Pre School 4’s Gift Basket
St. Paul’s Grade K-4 class Gift Basket
St. Paul’s Grade 5-8 class Shopping Spree Basket
Studio 11 styling lab $300 value
Subliminal Gift basket
Super Valu $25 gift card
Ted Fedder
The Cup Bakery $20
The Eggemeyers
The Flower Basket Gift Basket
The Kaffer Family
The Moore Family Handmade wooden Rocking Horse
The Schnoeker’s
The Wittenberg Family
Time Out $25 gift
Triple Lakes Golf Course, Milstadt, IL 18 holes for four with cart
Unger Eye Care Sunglasses
Urban Chestnut Gift Card & Beer Donation
Walgreen’s $20 gift card
WalMart Corp. Grant $500
Wehrenberg Theatre’s 4 passes
World Aquarium (city museum) value 2 passes/$130 value
YMCA/Edwardsville 1 year subscription($300)

California Mom, auctions are one - if not *the*- most time intensive of all fundraisers. (They also are one -- if not *the*-- most profitable, when done properly.)

In a survey I conducted among my auction chairs about four years ago,the average auction chair (not committee ... just chair) spent 1,000 hours planning her auction. That's the equivalent of 6 months of full time work. yikes!

That is part of why such a large cottage industry has been built around auctions -- software, technology, auctioneers, planners, consignment, database companies, check-out companies, etc. It's a big job to grasp and run an auction, and volunteers learn that quickly. Consequently, it can be tricky to get and maintain help.