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PA’s Online Auction Kicks Off Jan. 21

 

Ravenscroft’s Parents’ Association is ready to hit the gas on their annual Online Auction: registration is open, previews are available, and the bidding starts Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The auction, a long-running event with a history of raising tens of thousands of dollars yearly to benefit all Ravenscroft students, features opportunities to bid on dozens of great items. A few of the more than 280 items and 160 Campus Perks available:

  • Gift baskets and packages: Family Fun Basket (a past favorite), Taste the Triangle, The Ultimate Mall Haul, Hometown Hops, Wellness Warrior Gift Basket, Arts & Crafts Basket, STEM Gift Basket, a Durham Staycation and multiple enticing Date Night packages
  • Activities and events for both children and adults: Summer camp at Sea Gull/Seafarer, a VIP table for six at the Goo Goo Dolls concert on July 26 at Red Hat Amphitheater and a home wine tasting for four to six couples featuring Donelan Family wines
  • Beauty and wellness products and services: Everything you need to feel and look your best from head to toe from brands including Amelia Aesthetics and Synergy Face
  • Dining and beverage packages: Adult beverages, culinary gift baskets and restaurant gift cards including a private catered dinner for eight by Cook Shack Catering, Vineyard 36 Wines signed by Carolina Hurricanes alumnus Cam Ward and a Tequila Dinner for six at Gonza Tacos y Tequila
  • Campus perks: Returning favorites include Head of School for a Day and premier parking and celebration seating, plus some all-new experiences for students of all ages
  • … and many more — including exclusive offers from businesses owned or managed by Ravenscroft families.

Interested families should register on the auction site in preparation for bidding, which runs Tuesday, Jan. 21-Sunday, Jan. 26.

“We are so fortunate to have many generous returning and new donors from the Ravenscroft community, local and even national businesses,” Katie Dill, Online Auction co-chair, said. “A big thank-you to all of our donors, as we would not be successful without their support.”

Dill and committee co-chair Jacqueline Vollmer Viera also expressed their gratitude to the members of the Online Auction Committee, Kim Roth, Kimberly Freeman, Sarah Iler and honorary member Josefina Hanna, PA co-president; as well as last year’s committee co-chairs, Tracey Shepherd and Amanda Harrell, for their guidance and tech support.

In addition, they noted the essential contributions and support of these school employees:

  • Lower School, Middle School and Upper School divisional leadership, as well as the departments and individual teachers who contributed to Campus Perks
  • Director of Parent Engagement Sarah Baker, for her tireless work in making this auction a success and making the planning process fun
  • Director of Protective Services Tommy Vestal, for ensuring all auction items were securely stored

To mark the event, the committee has planned a special, adult-only social at Car Space in Raleigh on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 7 to 10 p.m. Parents, guardians, faculty and staff who have RSVP’d and attend the social will also be entered to win one of two $100 gift cards to Village Tavern at North Hills.

Dill and Vollmer Viera noted that the week’s events — the auction itself and the social — both serve one important purpose: fueling community spirit. 

“We realized early on that our social at Car Space would be the school’s only adult gathering this year, so we really wanted to create a fun event that will get everyone’s engines revving!” Dill said. “Our main goal [with the social] is to bring parents, guardians, faculty and staff together for a night of fun and connection. And while our primary goal with the auction is to raise funds to support the school, we aimed to use the auction as another way to promote community engagement both within and beyond Ravenscroft. 

“I was amazed by the number of Ravenscroft alumni I encountered while reaching out to local businesses for donations,” she added. “It has been truly inspiring to hear so many personal connections and stories.”