The fun- and fundraising event we’ve missed during Covid-time is back! We hope you can all join in with fun, donations, bidding and buying.

WHAT: Our most important annual (pandemics not included) fundraising event!

Enjoy refreshments, watching Erin do the live auction, silent auctions, childcare, the company of all who come. It is THE place to be!

WHO: Anyone! Kids and adults are welcome. Childcare is free! Update: Find the information and rules on this page.

WHERE: St John’s UU Church, 320 Resor Ave.
WHEN: Saturday, May 7, 2022, 1-5 p.m. (Note daytime hours!)
WHY: This event is about community! It raises money, yes. But it is about community and connecting. Not just at the event (which is a blast!) but throughout the year with events or services won at the auction!

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:

OFFERINGS: 

We can’t have an auction without things to bid on!
Everyone has something to offer, whether it’s a service, items, or a meal. If you need ideas, ask around to people who have attended in the past or email auction@stjohnsuu.org to bounce off ideas.

You can offer:

• SERVICES: Edit a résumé, take someone to the airport, teach them about composting, knit a custom scarf, make and/or deliver homemade soup, bake a birthday cake, help organize a part of someone’s house. There are endless possibilities and it is likely everyone has something they can offer
• HOSTING AN EVENT: Dinner parties, hikes, historical outings, day trips. You could even host a VIRTUAL event! Get creative! People will bid to participate.
• GIFT BASKETS: Create your own or put together from donations from local businesses. Gather a set of items to start someone off with creating a garden, having a movie night with the family, enjoying a sports event from home, introducing someone to a sampling of food or drink. There are so many ways to create one. We can even help you assemble it for presentation!
• GIFT CARDS: Gift cards are HUGELY popular. We have a letter you can give to businesses that allow them to claim their donation on taxes and promise to advertise for the donor. Places around Clifton or the Greater Cincy area all work. Food, events, stores, you name it. If they sell gift cards, we can bid on them!
• ITEMS: Whether it is a scarf or greeting cards, art, beautiful knicknacks, jewelry, books, etc, Handmade or not, there is plenty to offer. If you would be willing to give it as a gift, it will likely be perfect. But, we do not take small appliances.

When you know what you want to give, please log in to fill out this online form or fill out and print this offering form.

VOLUNTEERS: There is much to do! We have ways to help, big and small. There are volunteer positions for people of all ages, abilities, interests, skill, and time availability. Whether it be an hour or two of time during the auction or helping with prep work, we need YOU! Ask Erin Zoller, email auction@stjohnsuu.org or click on our sign-up sheet for more information about times, effort, duties. 

AUCTION LEADERS – There are many jobs to do to run the auction. We’ve broken them down into categories and manageable amounts of effort. We need people willing to “own” that part of the auction prep. BUT DON’T WORRY! You will have volunteers to help and the expertise and wisdom of years of auction prep to guide what needs to be done and when.

Ask Erin Zoller or email auction@stjohnsuu.org for more information about times, effort, duties. 

Auction leadership categories:

Refreshments Lead

We need someone to coordinate ordering and picking up light food and beverages for the auction event. Then make sure that it gets set up at the event and help volunteers kitchen volunteers should they need it.

Decorations Lead

This would involve deciding on what decorations are needed and either choosing from decorations we have stored year to year or ordering new ones. Then the morning of the event, helping lead a group of volunteers to put up the decorations.

Child Care Lead

This person will lead volunteers to help provide care for children of families attending the event. 

Bursar 

This person will make sure we have the proper cash on hand to make change during the event. They will lead a group of volunteers to take registration payment at the beginning of the event as well as payment for auction items on Sunday before and after church.

Registration Lead

This person will running the registration table for the hour before and the first hour of the event with the help of volunteers. They will also need to use existing supplies to make sure we have bidding paddles and sufficient bid stickers prior to the event.

Sunday Morning Auction Lead

This person will lead volunteers to set up the auction items not bid on the day before for the Sunday morning auction. They will work with the data entry volunteers to record any new winnings. They will also help distribute won items to winners from the night before.

Set Up Lead

This person will lead volunteers to set up tables and chairs the morning of the event. A map of where things need to go will be provided.

Gift Cards Lead

Advertisement Lead

These people will go to businesses around Cincinnati/Clifton to ask for gift card donations or advertisement placement donations. They will also be the point people for collecting the gift cards from others who gather and want to offer them.

Thank You Team Lead

This can be done from your couch in your PJ’s! We need someone to lead volunteers to write thank you emails to those who donated, inquiries about items not bid upon, or letting service donors or event hosts know who won their offerings.

Save $2/person if you pre-register online (and still pay at the door.)

We look forward to seeing you at St. John’s UU Auction ‘22, and at some of the events you register for!