Students eagerly pulled their parents along on the stage of the Tilden Elementary Center auditorium from one basket to the next, pulling apart tickets and placing them in containers of their favorites on Friday, Jan. 16 for the fourth annual Tilden PTO Chinese Auction and Dinner. This year’s dinner was all-you-can-eat chicken alfredo and pizza.
For the second year, the event was held in January instead of October as it was in the beginning.
Lining the stage were tables filled with baskets from classrooms as well as donations from vendors that were placed on tables just off of the stage.
“We try to draw in donations from more vendors each year, in addition to the vendors who have supported us each year,” said Aimee Litschi, Tilden PTO Treasurer and Chair of Chinese Auction & Dinner, after last year’s event. “The students are asked to bring in an item or two to donate to their themed classroom basket. We also have several staff and community members who graciously donate items and/or baskets to include in the auction.”
Quite a few of the students had their desired baskets picked out and went to those right away when they entered the auditorium. Some of the themed baskets this year were “wild,” “ice cream sundae,” “candy,” “baking,” “chocolate,” “children’s books,” “snow day,” “coffee,” and more. There were also prizes such as “lunch in the conference room with the principal,” “lunch in the conference room with your favorite staff member,” “lunch in the conference room with five buddies,” and others.
“The teachers pick the classroom’s theme and the students are asked to donate a new, unopened item for their classroom’s basket,” explained Litschi. “Some teachers organize and wrap the baskets, but the majority of the baskets are put together and wrapped by the PTO volunteers a few days before the auction.” Tilden PTO will sometimes add to baskets or combine some to make fuller baskets.
Three different raffle ticket prices were set up based on the price range of the auction items (valued up to $25, $25-$50 and valued $50 and up). Along with the classroom baskets were bikes, books, jewelry, gift certificates for local businesses and more.
As always, the auction was paired with an all-you-can-eat dinner. Proceeds from both benefit events held for students by the PTO such as field day, heritage day, holiday workshop and family fun nights.
“The PTO also provides a book to each student at least one time each year and tries to fulfill any classroom requests such as providing hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and Weekly Readers and similar periodicals,” said Litschi last year.
With the success of this event over the years, keep a look out in January for next year’s Chinese Auction and All-You-Can-Eat Dinner.