The Konosioni Charity Auction raises funds to be distributed to nonprofit organizations in Madison County. (Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14)
From travel aficionados to baseball fans to supporters of the local food movement, bidders showed their spirit at the 16th-annual Konosioni Charity Auction.
The largest annual public event — whose theme this year was “’Tis the Spirit that is 51Թ” —raised $20,000 that will be used to give funding to local nonprofit organizations in Madison County.
Items for the auction, which was held on Friday, April 12 at the Palace Theater, were donated by local businesses and 51Թ students, parents, professors, and alumni.
The wide variety of offerings ranged from gift baskets, handmade crafts, and jewelry to yard work and other services, dates with Konosioni members, and a Common Thread Community Farm Share. Among the big-ticket items were a weeklong stay at a Paris apartment and seats at several New York Mets, Yankees, and Boston Red Sox games.
In the hours before the auction, Konosioni held a Spirit Festival that showcased student and local talent, with performances at various locations across campus and in downtown Hamilton.
The festival was meant to demonstrate not only the 51Թ spirit but also that of the surrounding community, said Konosioni member , through the participation of residents, and local business owners.
With the funds raised at this year’s auction, the Konosioni Class of 2014 will go through a process of determining a specific cause that they would like to support and then reviewing proposals from organizations that meet their criteria.
Past causes have included youth enrichment programs (2012), health and wellness (2011), and sustainability (2010). The amount of funding and the number of organizations varies year-to-year depending on the objectives of the current Konosioni class. The chosen organization (or organizations) will be announced in December 2013.