Great Escape to the Great Outdoors

Event Overview:

Savannah Dhu was the setting for Manlius Pebble Hill School’s 22nd Annual Live Auction Gala on April 9, 2005, Great Escape to the Great Outdoors. Chaired by MPH parent Melina Dentes, this year’s event drew the highest attendance in the school’s history, with 353 people. It was also the most profitable Live Auction for the school with a gross income of $156,000.

After an evening of touring this impressive property, guests placed bids on 17 silent auction items while enjoying cocktails and hors d’ouevres. When the dinner stations opened, guests were treated to five-star cuisine, which included Florida Stone Crab Claws, Broiled Salmon, Beef Tenderloin, and Elk (a specialty at Savannah Dhu). As dessert was served, the Live Auction got underway. There were 49 items ranging in value from $325 to $4,500. Highlights included artwork from well-known artists Jerome Witkin, Hall Groat, and Margie Hughto, an autographed movie poster and script from “Animal House, “ a week-long trip to Cancun, and New York Yankees tickets. These items produced over $56,000 of the event’s total profits.
The auction committee consisted of a very enthusiastic, hard-working and dedicated group of parents. Thank you to: Maxine Babcock, Alex Barclay, Jayne Charlamb ‘87, Lynn Dew, John Friedman, Joan Fruscello, JoAnne Gittelson, Mary Lang, Kathy Halbritter, Jan Hampton, Kathy Harmand, Lynn Miller, Melissa Montgomery, Philippe Roth Schwimmer ‘92, Claire Myers-Usiatynski ‘72, and Kathy Verbeck.
We would like to express our appreciation to the following MPH students and parents who made the evening run so smoothly. The Noah Kellman Quartet, directed by Joe Colombo truly set the stage for a fantastic evening. MPH students Stefania Ianno, Erin Holstein, Molly Lutton, Courtney Stewart, Shane Sullivan, Devin Sullivan, and Pam Usiatynski helped guide the guests, run bids, carry items, and keep track of bidding activity. Thanks to Derek and Carrie Wolfanger for directing the students and managing to trouble shoot in a new location. A special thank you to those who diligently ran the check-in and check-out stations: Nancy Brown, Jackie Lewis-Frenay, and Kathy O’Sullivan.
Many thanks to the Fine Arts Department of Manlius Pebble Hill School, Jeanne Byrnes, Linda McGinley, Linda Sherman and Pam Steele, for helping to guide the students through the creative process of developing an auction item-they were all beautiful pieces that generated a great deal of bidding activity. The professional video presentation made during the auction that allowed everyone to see each item in detail before they bid was made by Jan and Bob Hampton. We know this is a long, tiresome process, so we thank them for their dedication.
We’d also like to thank our generous Sponsors, Underwriters, Benefactors, and advertisers. Their contributions were tremendous and made a significant impact on our bottom line.
To those who attended the event, whether you were the lucky high bidder or not, we appreciate your support and thank you for being a part of the Great Escape to the Great Outdoors.

Great Escapes Raffle:

Manlius Pebble Hill School’s first ever car raffle was a great success. Just 400 tickets were sold for a chance to win a 2005 Volvo. The lucky winner was Erika Blair of Syracuse, a neighbor of MPH parents Terry and Lydia Turnipseed.

The terms of the raffle allowed the winner to choose between a 2005 AWD Volvo S40 Sedan or a 2005 AWD Volvo V50 Wagon, but in the end, Erika decided that an optional upgrade to a Volvo XC90-the sporty Volvo SUV was the right fit for her family of five.

MPH would like to thank Alan Byer Volvo for making this raffle possible and for their continuous generosity and support. Congratulations, Erika!

Items Up For Bid at Great Escapes 2005:

Silent Auction Items

Live Auction Items

Artwork Photos (all items are not shown)

Sponsors and Underwriters

2005 Sponsors, Underwriters, and Benefactors

Photos

Click here to see photos of Great Escapes 2005