NONPROFITS AROUND TOWN: High tech silent auction; American Girl tea

Silent auctions will never be the same.

The mainstay of nonprofit fundraisers has gone high tech.

Glittering black-tie patrons at The Children’s Literacy Center’s 14th annual Vintner Dinner led the way, looking every bit like people at a gamers’ convention, or a bunch of very happy men wielding their remote controls.

The Literacy Center and sponsor Central Bancorp had introduced electronic bidding to Colorado Springs. Each of the 160 attendees at the Garden of the Gods Club on Oct. 16 carried a wireless, hand-held keypad coded with that bidder’s name on its tiny screen.

Then they circulated the auction room with its tables filled with wine lots and other enticing items for bid ranging from a year of beer and trips to ski resorts to taekwondo training, mountain biking and fashion gift cards. As bids were punched in they could be viewed on screens around the room and on the keypad screens.

No more running to the tables to check the paper bid sheets to see if someone had upped a person’s bid, they could see it happen from anywhere in the club, and up the ante themselves.

Should a keypad newbie accidentally bid $500,000 instead of $50, the bidding concierges were at the ready: firefighters Shane Coyne, Greg Iafeliece, Eric Ruettinger and Steven Thime.

Another highlight was the traditional formal, multi-course vintner dinner with featured wines from MacMurray Ranch accompanying dishes created by the club’s chefs. In the ahhhh category was the dessert, edible chocolate books.

Literacy Center Executive Director Gina Solazzi was aglow, enjoying the noisy fun of the evening which ended up raising almost $100,000 to teach more children how to read.

Accolades went out to event chairs Sue Mulvihill and Janet Conover (in absentia), and their committee: board president Nick Daley, Jennifer Eckels, Barbara Furr-Brodock, Gwen Happ, Amy Hunter, Robin Johannes, Phil Kennedy, Dustin Kimberlin, Chris McCall, Terrance McWilliams, Paula Munger, Mo Onstad, Adrienne Reid, Ron Rubin, Diane Salek, Bob Smith, Mallory Underwood, Stephanie Waltman and Tiffany Williamson.

MORE PHOTOS from these events: http://tinyurl.com/2eaec6c

AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW
Girls and dolls in Sunday best — with mothers, some fathers and grandparents in tow — descended on Cheyenne Mountain Resort Oct. 17 for tea.

The annual American Girl Fashion Show presented by the Colorado Springs Alumnae Panhellenic Association to benefit Kidpower, which empowers children and young people, was once again a hit. There were 400 seated for the noon show and 290 for the 3:30 p.m. tea.
And American Girl dolls were everywhere. (Check them out in our photos at tinyurl.com/2eaec6c).

Little-girl conversation snippets were priceless: “Elizabeth (a doll) thinks Felicity (another doll) should sit at another table.” “My doll wanted braids today.” And one girl gasped, “Oh no, I forgot Coconut,” before explaining to her alarmed father that Coconut is an American Girl doll’s fluffy white dog.

Snacking on itty bitty crustless tea sandwiches and fruit, girls were enchanted by a runway show of American Girl clothing worn by local volunteer models. Each character doll’s story was related during the runway walk.

Olympic skater and Stanford University student Rachael Flatt, sporting a flattering short hairdo, had welcomed all the girls and then spent time having her picture taken by parents with the young ladies and their dolls. With her was her mother, Jody.

In charge of the fashion show fundraiser, wearing bright red aprons, were the chairs, Ann Hall and Nancy Ickes, and their committee, Lori Langin, Wendy Peterson, Kathryn Carlson, Natalie Brown, Shari Kovarik, Deb Grandia, Marsha Wayman, Donna Lawhorn, Margi Barrutia, Cecila Otto Griffin, Rachel Martin, Vivian Patton, Mallory McShane, Susan Matejcek, Libby George and Peggy Carmack.