I hope everyone has enjoyed a restful holiday weekend. Last week was a short and quiet week, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to update you on the outcome of the 2010 Lombardi Gala. As I mentioned in a previous post, this year’s Gala was a wonderful event – we had more than 1,000 guests come out to celebrate. While donations are still trickling in, I am thrilled to report that we have raised more than $915,000 to date.
This represents a 22% increase over last year and I am very pleased to see that the fundraising environment seems to be improving as we hopefully emerge from the economic crisis. Our auction, which had so many terrific donated items, brought in $200,000. I can say that my Eagles-Redskins tickets were well worth what I bid on them—despite the torrential rains. I’d be lying if I said the decisive outcome of the game had nothing to do with my enjoyment.
The hottest attraction this year, however, was by far the Lexus raffle. We sold 725 tickets at $100 each, for a total of $72,500. This was our best year ever for this raffle, and it’s heartening to see that so many people were able to participate.
Thank you again to Elena Jeannotte and her team in Advancement for their tireless work in making the Gala a success, and to all the volunteers who donated their time.
I hope everyone has a great week!