P4P’s Into Africa Auction Was a Great Success!
Over 200 Partnering for Progress supporters and friends helped raise $69,000 at the 12th Annual Into Africa Auction. Attendees enjoyed entertainment, educational displays, a lively auction and fabulous African and Western food at the Mirabeau Park Hotel. Many generous in-kind donations from around the area graced our auction tables.
Once again antique and contemporary African art created a bidding frenzy as the table closed, raising a total of $1,765. Many of the items were generously donated by Bob and Pat Pedersen in memory of their son, Darin.
We ended dinner on a sweet note with the Dessert Dash, where table captains collected bids for dessert items and dashers from the table flew to the dessert table to flag their prize.
Our auction is not just about food, frivolity and winning bids, however. It is also about educating attendees about P4P’s important work in Kenya. At health, education, water and economic development tables, P4P volunteers explained the focus of the committee’s work and provided concrete examples of how donations directly help communities in Kopanga/Giribe. Guests were given Passports to encourage them to visit each committee table and learn about P4P’s programs and initiatives.
Our keynote speakers, auction co-chairs Linda Hagen Miller and Chrisdee Imthurn, shared stories of life-changing programs that are in place in Kopanga/Giribe villages. Using an empty bowl, rocks labeled health, education, water and economic development, a pitcher of rice and one of water, they symbolically illustrated how the efforts of volunteers, board members, supporters and friends of P4P sustain and build our programs.
It Takes a Village to make a world of difference, a world away. During the paddle raise, guests opened their hearts and gave generously, pledging $16,225 in support of P4P’s health, water, education and economic development programs in Kenya.
Kopanga, Kenya
A Very Special Thanks
We have many people to acknowledge for the success of this year’s auction. First, we want to thank our generous auction sponsors whose gifts ensured that every dollar raised would go toward supporting P4P programs.
Talented auctioneer Jeff Owens enthusiastically led the bidding and urged attendees to give deeply. Master of ceremonies, KXLY News 4 journalist, Caroline Flynn, injected humor and heart as she led guests through the program.
So much goes on during the year before the auction to create an evening of successful fundraising and we thank Board members and volunteers who sold tickets, solicited sponsors and procured auction items. A special thank you goes to volunteers from Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union, Numerica and Eastern Western University who helped behind the scenes. This truly is a group effort and the funds that are raised support an entire year of programs for 26 villages in Kenya.
Our deep gratitude goes to the donors and volunteers who selflessly share their time, talent and treasure. Your donations send children to school, provide clean water, foster economic empowerment and save lives through our health care programs.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Sponsor support is the key to changing the lives of our partners in Kenya. We thank our generous sponsors!
