Tickets available for Boys & Girls Club auction

Source: The Sedalia Democrat, Sedalia, Mo.儲存Dec. 28--Tickets are now available for the 24th annual Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri auction, the organization's largest fundraiser of the year.Those who attend the big event on Feb. 8 will enjoy dinner catered by Bandana's and beverages provided by Glazer's and County Distributing, all while raising money for 1,500 kids in Pettis, Benton and Johnson counties that participate in the Boys & Girls Clubs' after-school program at 14 different area schools."I'd like to say it's one of the premiere social events for the area," said Matt LaCasse, Resource Development Specialist of Marketing and Public Relations. "It's more than just a fundraising event. It's a lot of fun. People are there in tuxes, and there are others in blue jeans and a baseball hat. There's a wide range of folks that come, and that's what makes it enjoyable for everyone. It's an elegant night, but doesn't have the aura of 'we're at a black tie event.' It's welcoming to everyone."Back again this year in the live auction are dinners cooked and hosted by local Sedalians, including B&GC Executive Director Brett Barth-Fagan and Deborah Mitchell. Also on the auction block is a package of four tickets to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Wrigley Field, including a chance to go on the field.The auction is known for having several pieces of art up for auction and this year will be no different. LaCasse said they have a lot of different art pieces that will be specific to the auction and not available anywhere else."Larry Thomas, who is originally from Sedalia and is the Director of Art at Johnson County Community College, donated a piece that looks really cool. People will be impressed with his piece again this year," LaCasse said. "Each site is doing an art piece as well. We have a lot of really neat art pieces that tend to go for a lot because they are one of a kind pieces. Unique pieces that the only place to get them is at the Club auction."There is a wide variety of items in a wide range of prices to fit every budget. LaCasse said some live auction items may go for as much as $5,000, while many silent auction items cost between $20 and $40. There will also be games people can play for $10."It's priced so people can have a good time, get a good value for their money, and contribute what they feel comfortable with," LaCasse said. "People can come and迷你倉have a good time and support the Club as well."Free valet parking will also be available this year. The service was new last year, but wasn't utilized much, LaCasse said.The night starts at 5 p.m. when doors open at the MEC building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. The silent auction and auction games will start when doors open, and the silent auction will wrap up at 6:45 p.m., just in time for the live auction to start at 7 p.m.The money raised will be "unrestricted" funds, meaning the money can be used for any Club need. The only money that will have a specific use will be any money raised for the Say Yes Scholarships, which goes toward providing fees for families who can't afford the program."Think of our grants as bricks that account for most of what we spend, and this unrestricted money is the mortar that goes in between those bricks," LaCasse said. "There are gaps in there, and we use those unrestricted dollars to fill in gaps between grants. These are very important dollars to us, they're the most valuable because they're flexible and we can use them where money is needed."While the Club staff is busy preparing for the auction, a selection committee is busy finding a replacement for Executive Director Brett Barth-Fagan, whose last day is next week. LaCasse said several candidates have been interviewed since Barth-Fagan made the announcement Nov. 6, but a replacement has not been named yet."We aren't going to feel rushed because Brett's last day is Monday," LaCasse said. "We have Melissa Boeschen as Senior Resource Development Specialist of Donor Development, and Tony is coming in early January with lots of Club experience in Kansas City and Omaha. And he just helped with the Twin Cities merger. We're going to have strong leadership, so we feel comfortable waiting to find the perfect candidate to fill Brett's shoes."Tickets to the auction are $50 each or for reserved seating of groups of eight or more, tickets are $65 each. Tickets are available through Jan. 31 on bgckids.com or at the Club's office, 3100 Aaron Ave. Preferred Properties, 3300 W. 16th St., is also selling tickets, but only single admission tickets are available there. For more information, call B&GC at 826-8331.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, Mo.) Visit The Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, Mo.) at .sedaliademocrat.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage