BIG BIDS, BIG WINS, & BIG IMPACT

Guests could shop from the vendors before the auction started.

Autumn is on the horizon, which means that it is time for WMCD’s annual Quarter Auction fundraiser! On September 7th, people from across Western Massachusetts arrived at the East Mountain Country Club with one goal: make a big impact. As guests arrived, the energy was palpable — lots of chatter, buying from local vendors, and enjoying the fresh taste of lunch from the kitchen staff. The doors opened at 1pm, giving guests time to settle in, catch up with their friends and family, prepare their rolls of quarters, and keep an eye out for the prizes they want to bring home!

At a quarter auction, each vendor presents an item they are auctioning off, and the value of that item. Based on the value of the item, guests put a number of quarters in the middle of the table, and then raise their paddles in the air. For every paddle they raise, the better chance they have of winning the prize! And if you’re lucky, your paddle will be called, and the item will be yours to keep (for as little as one quarter)! With each paddle raised, the anticipation rises, and excitement builds. It is so fun to see who wins each item!

We also sold 50/50 raffle tickets & entries to our lottery ticket drawing!

The money we raised benefits our organization, which hosts an annual 25-hour event for youth. During this event, called an ‘all-nighter’, youth learn that giving back to the community can be fun and rewarding. In the past few years, we’ve raised over $100,000 for causes our local youth care about!

And so, it was time for the auction to begin. We had a stellar lineup of vendors this year who offered items up: Ember’s Resin Art & Jewelry, Tupperware, Avon with Patti, Craftily Engineered, Pillow Creations, S&S Handmade Soap, Bower Collection, Just Gnomes, Husky Crafters, and of course, the items we auctioned off from WMCD!

As the auction began, the sounds of quarters clinking echoed through the hall as Ember’s Resin Art & Jewelry auctioned off the first item! Guests were getting the hang of the rules — but it did throw us for a loop when Craftily Engineered had to call three different paddle numbers so early in the game! Tupperware went next, handing out containers best used for milk or orange juice (especially on camping trips!).

Director Harry Monti sharing the mission of WMCD Inc.

Heading down the line of vendors, Riverside Embroidery unfortunately could not attend the auction as a vendor but graciously offered up an item that would benefit our organization. When all was said and done, we received around $50 for the item they auctioned off, so we wanted to take a moment to thank them for their selfless support. But the fun didn’t stop there!

Numbers kept being called out as guests cheered when they won each prize. Our very own Steering Committee member Kelly Gonthier won handmade soap about halfway through the first round, so you better bet there was a loud cheer from the WMCD volunteer table! Her reaction was priceless — a quick run across the room to retrieve the prize! It was fascinating to see how many prizes there were, ranging from seasonal favorites (handcrafted Halloween lanterns & inflatable ghosts) to personal beauty products and home comfort items as well.

Paddles in the air when you want to win a prize!

It goes without saying, but since we’re so youth-focused, we were proud to have one of our youth team members as a vendor at the event! Ava with Just Gnomes auctioned off three mini gnomes during round one, and a larger gnome during the second round and as a raffle item, which our director Harry Monti was excited to win. We also loved seeing Husky Crafters come up to present their items — it’s turned into a full family hobby and the kid’s passion was apparent! Let’s just say the afternoon was full of great energy, fun bids, and memories that will last a lifetime!

Now, we have another very successful quarter auction in the books! We want to sincerely thank This & That Quarter Auctions for planning this event with us — they are fantastic to work with, and we cannot recommend booking a quarter auction with them enough! Plus, thank you to the East Mountain Country Club for the use of their space — it’s so great for this event! We would also like to thank all our WMCD volunteers, specifically our fundraising team: Lisa Stawasz, Addie Hume, Suzanne Harlow, Maureen Briere, Cindy Monti, and Theresa Racine for planning such a fun event.

And of course, thank you to everyone who attended the quarter auction! We wouldn’t be able to make such a big impact without your continued support.

But if you couldn’t make it, don’t fret! We have more fun events on the horizon, beginning with our FunnyRaising Comedy Show on November 1, and continuing into the winter. Learn more about our upcoming fundraisers & events by clicking here.

So with all that said… who’s in for next year? 🙌