2021 BBQ & AUCTION
We did it! The 2021 BBQ & Auction was a huge success, with tremendous support shown to CDRI and its Mission. We cannot adequately express how humbled, fortunate, and grateful we feel to be part of such an amazingly supportive community. We could not be more sincere in saying:
"THANK YOU FOR MAKING 2021
THE COMEBACK YEAR!"
One year ago, having already postponed the 2020 BBQ & Auction due to the Covid pandemic, planning for the future was somewhat bleak. At that time, we weren't sure if the CDRI Visitor Center and the Gift Shop would be open, and we honestly didn't think we would be hosting the 2021 BBQ & Auction.
Eighteen months ago, from early 2020, we carefully faced the pandemic head-on and went forward with dermination to be open, stay open, and get things back to a sense of normalcy. In early 2021, we moved the BBQ date from its usual August setting to late September. We contracted with Sanchez BBQ for catering, and we received confirmation from auctioneer Martin Stringer to lead the Live Auction again, even though our scheduled date was also his birthday. From every direction we turned, we met enthusiastic support from friends of CDRI. That was enough encouragement for us to know that it would be a wildly successful event. And it was!
In an attempt to not contribute to a Covid "super-spreader" event, we kept our attendance numbers down to 125, half of the attendance in recent years. We also changed the seating configuration and the placement of the party tents to allow for more space between tables. We're delighted to report that we've heard nothing but rave reviews about every aspect of the event.
At the end of the evening, after the sun had set behind Blue Mountain and the guest had filtered out, we tallied the scorecard with the following breathtaking results:
Silent & Live Auctions $22,000
Education Paddle Raise $21,300
Host Committee $ 9,000 (34 couples/singles Hosts)
Dinner Tickets $ 2,500
Misc. Donations $ 1.500
Total Gross $56,300
Less: Expenses ($ 6,000) (Catering, music, host gifts, promo. fees)
Net Income $50,300
With our ticket sale price equal to the catering cost, we consider that aspect a break-even one. The "fundraising" part of the event comes from: i) Host Committee and Donor/Underwriter participation, ii) Silent and Live Auctions, and iii) the Education Paddle Raise.
The Education Paddle Raise, second only to the amount raised in 2019, provides scholarships for free admission to the Nature Center for all TEA Region 18 school children. The funding goes to special programs for Pre-K through 6th grades: The Earth Rocks; Herp Day; Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Day; Living Things; Bird Sleuth; and Critter Camp. In five years (through 2019), CDRI and its volunteers grew student participation from 500 to over 2,000 students! We're back in for a full year of programs in 2022!
We thank all who contributed in your extraordinary way to promote this significant event! You made it wildly successful! And more importantly, you made it fun!
