Dear WES friends,

I hope you have marked your calendars for the WES Auction on November 5. 

I’m writing to share important reminders and updates. There is a lot of information here but it’s essential for Auction night to run smoothly for everyone, so please take a look:

• The Auction website is https://auctria.events/WESauction2022  You will use the website to upload your donation information, buy tickets, review the catalog, and learn about how to bid. There is an extensive “All the Details” section that covers everything from what to wear to how to pay for your purchased items. 
• Please try to submit all of your donation information by this weekend! We need time to prepare the online catalog so that it is available for viewing several days before the auction. You can submit donation information here. We have received some amazing donations and we can’t wait to share them with you.
• Remember to buy your tickets! This will be a hybrid online + in-person event. Tickets for the in-person event are $25 and include unlimited food, wine, and desserts. Tickets for the in-person event are $10 and include an evening’s entertainment. Tickets can be purchased here. Only 80 in-person tickets will be sold and we will not be selling tickets at the door the night of the event. The first 40 people to buy an in-person ticket and everyone who buys an online ticket will be entered into a drawing for 4 fabulous prizes.
• While you are buying your tickets, please reserve your babysitting if you need it. It is important for the auction team to know how many children to expect. You can reserve babysitting on the Auction website homepage…look for the picture of Mary Poppins. The charge is $15 for one child and $30 for more than one child.  
• Please drop off your donations no later than Sunday, October 30. You can bring your items to WES on Sunday morning (there’s a bin outside the office suite door) or contact Sarah Morris (se.morris@verizon.net), Cayo Gamber (cayo1@gwu.edu), or Christine Parcelli (christineparcelli@gmail.com) about dropping off items at their homes.
• All bidding for the auction – even the live auction – will take place via Auctria, either via the Auctria app, the website, or bidding via text. There will not be bidding paddles as in previous years, but everyone at the in-person event or online will be able to see the live, real-time bidding during the live auction and Marty Kaufman will – once again – serve as the host for the evening.
• The auction website has a page with detailed instructions for bidding. If you would like to review how to bid using Auctria with a member of the auction team, we have scheduled two prep sessions: Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 pm and Tuesday, November 1 at 6:00 pm. The zoom link for these sessions is here.
• Online attendees must pick up their purchases at WES on Sunday, November 13th or Sunday, November 20th between 10am and 1 pm. WES offices are not necessarily open during the week, so please plan to pick up your items during these times.
• Finally, please plan to buy a plate of cookies at the bake sale on Sunday, October 30 and vote for your favorite. The winner will be presented with the Golden Spoon on auction night and you will have the chance to bid on your favorite cookies for future delivery.

We look forward to seeing you on November 5th!

The Auction Team