Thursday, January 29, 2015
Victorian Order of Nurses - Oxford
5th Annual Handbags for Hospice Sets Incredible New Fundraising Record
Even the event organizers looked at the fundraising total in disbelief this weekend. The 5th annual Handbags for Hospice purse auction, presented by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada was held on Friday, January 23, 2015. The charity event raised an unbelievable $165,366.23 (net) for VON Sakura House.
The Bag Ladies of Oxford committee, who plan and host the event in partnership with VON Oxford, are delighted that their year of planning yielded such a great result for Sakura House. Bag Ladies Chairperson, Leslie Farrell was thrilled with the turnout for the event and humbled by the overwhelming support shown for Sakura House hospice, “This event has become so much more than 'the Power of the Purse'. It has become a reflection of how our community has embraced Sakura House!”
The unique charity auction is a sell-out event every year, welcoming 860 guests this year to the Oxford Auditorium in Woodstock. Women are treated to a champagne cocktail as they enter the room, which sets the tone for the night thats all about friends, fun, and purses in support of a great local cause. Guests bid on a variety of handbags during the silent and live auctions. An annual highlight of the live auction was the Firefighter's Dinner that was auctioned for $6,000 this year! Woodstock firefighters donate their time to plan and prepare a gourmet meal in the winners home. They have a special guest assisting them with the dinner this year, as they welcomed the help of David Franklin, culinary specialist with Sysco Food Services Woodstock and a Certified Chef de Cuisine.
Other highlights of the evening include, the Candy Bar, all-you-can-eat Dessert Buffet, MUGZ Photobooth, and LUG Mystery Bags. But many are sure to agree the most inspiring part of the night was the Fund-a-Need… a „reverse auction? during which guests pledged donations toward the purchase of a new fridge and ice machine to serve the families at Sakura House. When all the donations were counted, they far exceeded the amount pledged in the room -- $36,000 was raised in about 5 minutes!
Farrell shares the Bag Ladies of Oxford?s gratitude for all the support they have received to make Handbags for Hospice a runaway success. “This event takes a full year of planning with our committee of 10 dedicated 'Bag Ladies', as well as the support of a large community of Sponsors – many that have been with us from the very first year. In addition to that we have no less than 100 volunteers who help us set up and run the event. We have so many people to thank for helping us reach a record high fundraising amount this year, including all of our generous guests, of course!”
Media Contact:
Kyra McNamara
Fund Development Coordinator – VON Oxford
519-539-1231 ext 224
kyra.mcnamara@von.ca
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