Mountain Auction

The 11th annual Mountain auction is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5, at the St. Bonaventure Universty campus.

In order to prepare for a successful auction, we need your help with gifts!

What is a gift gathering party and how does it work?
A Gift Gathering Party is a social event where friends of Mt. Irenaeus come together to "gather gifts" to be presented the night of the Mountain Auction. A variety of new and unused gifts in different price ranges are gathered at each party. Gifts can range from small appliances, china and crystal, home furnishings and handcrafts to handyman tools, sports memorabilia and equipment, bottles of cheer and a variety of gift baskets. We also hope to offer vacation packages, weekend getaways, and tickets to theater, concerts and sporting events. Some people join together to purchase a gift of larger value. Please bring the gifts unwrapped. Attendance at a gift gathering party is not a commitment to attend the auction, but we would welcome you to join us for an exciting evening to socialize with friends and join in the fun of the auction.

Is there a time frame for the gift gathering parties?
Our targeted time is to have all parties and gifts on campus by Sept. 30, 2011. One of the highlights is a printed catalog with all of the gift items, their value and a nice description available for auction guests. With over a few hundred gifts, we will need the time to prepare our catalog of gifts.

I'd like to host a party but need help?
Margaret Bryner will be more than happy to discuss party ideas/themes with you. She can also send you a sample of party gathering invitations that have been used in the past and she can give you some pointers for the flow of the evening.

Should I wrap my own gift?
No because it needs to be seen and eventually be on display.

How do I transport gifts to campus?
We will make arrangements to pick up gifts. If long distance is a challenge, you can consider sending a cash donation to the campus committee with a creative theme gift your group has identified and can be purchased locally by the campus committee. We may be in a position to pick up gifts through SBU representatives that may be in your area – please call to see if this can be coordinated.

Are gifts labeled from different people or alumni chapters?
Each gift has a gift number, a description and the name(s) of the people or corporations who are responsible for the auction item.  EX:  Gift S304:  Weekend Get Away in NYC including dinner and overnight accommodations at the Trump Towers:  Donated by the NYC Alumni Chapter. If you prefer to remain anonymous, there is also this option.

I'd like to help but I'm not creative or I just don't have time? We are more than happy to discuss gift ideas with you over the phone. If you prefer, you can consider sending in a cash donation and the campus committee can suggest a "theme"gift that you would like us to buy locally on our behalf.

For more information please contact: Margaret Bryner at mbryner@sbu.edu, or 716-375-2208 (work) or 716-373-0807 (home); or Michelle Marcellin at mmarc@sbu.edu, or 716-375-2469.