message tuesday

Thank you to those who made it to the auction kick-off meeting last Tuesday.  Hopefully you were encouraged and inspired to go procuring!  I was inspired, myself, and sent out two procurement requests the next day.  You may stop reading now if you would like!

If you were unable to attend (whether or not you feel like an auction veteran), and have not opted out of auction participation, please read on as it will make our auction season much smoother for both you and the auction staff. If you read to the end, there is a reward! (No skipping ahead! )

Please pick up your auction packet in the reception area of the school.  If you have not picked it up by the end of September, we will assume you would rather opt out.  Anyone is welcome to this option.  Just let us know and we’ll bill you an extra $1000 per family of tuition over the next 9 months.

If you have chosen to participate in auction, here are three parts to your family's auction participation:

• Procurements
• Ticket Sales
• Helping out Auction week/night

Procurements:
     You are required to procure items and/or services with a minimum value of $800.  The amount you do not procure will be added to your tuition bill following auction.   

The BOOK rules:
1.  You may sign up for businesses from whom you would like to request a donation in the book in the school reception area.   It is very important that you NOT procure from a business you did not sign up for.  ALWAYS check the book before asking.  
2.  You have 2 weeks to visit a business to ask for a procurement.  Please stop by the reception desk or call or email Angela to put a yes or no in the book.  That way we know that business has been covered and no one else may talk to them.  If you have not requested a donation after two weeks, someone else may visit that business.
3.  Repeat! 
There are a few more thoughts on procurements below.

Ticket Sales:
    Your packet contains four tickets that are your responsibility to sell.  You are welcome to purchase them yourself and bring a few friends or sell them to people who would be amenable to our cause.  Please strategically invite people you know would help us in our fundraising effort.  You can always get more tickets from the office if needed.  Some families opt to purchase a reserved table for $200 (see procurement form), and invite six extra friends! (This represents a $10/ticket savings).
Please turn in the ticket stubs with names as soon as possible.

Work the auction week or day
Auction is an event that requires “all hands on deck”.  Please sign up at the reception area for an auction or pre-auction job!  We need people in a variety of jobs before, during and after auction.  It’s a great way to meet other ICA parents!

Procurement thoughts:

• Think not quantity – usually more than two of the same item will result in the items being sold at less than their value.
• Decadent Desserts – Please turn in a fully completed procurement form with the wording you would like us to use to describe the item
• Cash donation is better than going out and buying items specifically to sell.
• Donations:  We have premade invitations you may wish to mail to friends on and off the island which include an option to send a cash donation if they did not wish to attend.  Any donation counts toward your procurement total (as long as your name is on the donation). 
• We don’t accept alcohol related donation
• Please bring us procurement forms you won’t use – we can pass them along
• We ask that you please turn in items as you procure them – much easier to record as we go.  Procrastination is not recommended.
• Advertisement form – Sometimes businesses will pay to advertise in our book.  Can pick up forms at the reception area.
• We can supply you with a letter for a business if you prefer to just leave a letter and check back later

The reward:  Eagle Building will pay $250 toward tuition for the family with the highest procurement total!  You can do it!

Thank you so much for joining in to raise money to keep tuition affordable for families on South Whidbey!

Brenda