Many thanks to those of you who are submitting your donations either online, through email, or in person! Change is often difficult, and our new online Auction is no exception! As you know, Covid really hit us hard regarding fundraising. We wish we did not have to rely on fundraisers to help us meet our budget, but it is a reality, and even more so now, than before. If we want to support the mission of the WUU, and make sure future generations have a home in Williamsburg, we must continue to think about operational concerns such as paying our mortgage down, putting aside funds for routine upkeep and repair, and paying our professional and support staff. Please remember that no donation, either financial or physical, is too small or too large. It all goes to help us keep the lights on and share our mission.
We have so many wonderful items coming in: UU B&Bs, Labor Day weekend (or more) on the Narragansett Bay in Newport, RI, our fabulous dinners, a murder mysetery party, gift cards for your holiday presents, artwork, a traditional English Christmas party and a Mad Hatter Tea Party for all ages, a Ladies Night Out event, house goods, baked items, soups for all seasons, sporting equipment, your own parking space at the WUU, “Pinky” the infamous WUU Flamingo, and so much more! You can also just donate money on the Auction homepage as well: auctria.events/WUUFall2022. If you need help thinking outside the box please pick up a copy of our “Ideas” handout at the WUU, or click here: Auction Ideas Poster.
Please stop by our table for the next three Sundays to ask for help, or pick up our handouts that lead you through registering and submitting donations. We know some folks are having difficulty uploading photos, if you are please email us at: auction@wuu.org. We are more than happy to provide you with instructions on how to send it to us through email, or through sending your photos as a message to Katrina, or we can send someone to your home to take a photo(s). We are here to serve our congregation, so please do not hesitate to contact us! Also, if you know a merchant please consider asking them to donate a gift card. We have forms you can provide for their tax records. The last day you can submit an item for donation is OCT. 30th as we need a couple of days to finalize the catalog before publishing it on Nov. 2. If you forget to submit an item, you can still donate money on the Auction site!
Lastly, I want to thank you all for stepping up to help us get back up on our feet after Covid. All monies we raise in this Auction will be applied to next year’s operating budget. I am hoping we can raise at least $20,000 towards that goal….and don’t forget, we will have a gala Auction celebration on Sunday, Nov. 13, right after the St. Cecilia’s Day service with Steve Delaney. Lesa Craig and Leslie Fabian are selling wine glass tickets and 50/50 raffle tickets at our table on Sundays for that event. Stay tuned for further information from Leslie regarding how you can pay for those tickets using the WUU online drop down menu on the giving page.
Thanks everyone! Keep those donations coming in!
Katrina Landon
“Time, Treasure, Talent” Auction Chair