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You are here: Home / Administration / Auction Flu: An epidemic among Gala Auction Chairs
Dec 20

Auction Flu: An epidemic among Gala Auction Chairs

Sherry Truhlar 4 Comments

fec46718-7d13-4298-8c60-a672d014be6fI’m keeping it real in this post.

My tradition has been to share gala auction tips in my articles, but there is an entire sub-section of posts I could write focusing on the cultural and sociological elements of fundraising auctions — articles that would go beyond the mechanics of “how to run a gala auction.”

  • Articles about why Auction Chairs run an auction  (E.G. Though many are compassionate people who want to help their chosen cause, some have an underlying desire to demonstrate how an event could perform better.  Others get involved as a social outlet or to develop new skills.)
  • Articles about the impact on one’s relationships when chairing an auction.  (Longtime readers might recall me sharing a true story about how your marriage might suffer from chairing an auction.)
  • Articles about how the demands of an auction might affect your health.

And this latter point is where today’s article falls.

Last February, the Gala Auction Co-Chair of a Maryland school fundraiser couldn’t make it to her own event.  She set up the auction in the afternoon, went home to change, and told her husband, “I can’t do this. I’m going to bed.”

She was down for the count with what I call “Auction Flu.”

Okay, okay, maybe Auction Flu isn’t a “real” thing.  You can’t get diagnosed with this unique strain.

But you can get the flu — and I see many Auction Chairs succumb to it.

Auction Flu most often strikes a day or two after the event is over.  Until then, the Chair’s adrenaline powers them forward.

But once the auction is over, their body shuts down.  The late nights, lack of sleep and demands of the auction — coupled with the ordinary demands of family — wield power.  Auction Chairs find themselves in bed as sleep takes hold.

Occasionally, as in my client’s case, they get hit with the bug in the days leading up to the event.  They might put on a pretty face for the event — or not.  But in any case, they aren’t feeling festive.

You already know this, but don’t neglect your own rest.

Tomorrow we formally welcome winter with the December 21 solstice.  The holidays will consume our time over the next couple of weeks.  Many will travel to socialize with friends and family.

And then the 2017 auction season begins.

Take care of yourself!  Auction flu will start making the rounds.

I guarantee it.

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Copyright © 2016 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and educator, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

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Comments

  1. Charley Karnes says

    December 20, 2016 at 5:21 PM

    Much worse when it happens before the event! Not unusual after the big ones. Trail mix is the answer. And Emergen-C. Big smiles and breathe a lot. Attitude is everything.

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      December 20, 2016 at 7:41 PM

      Trail mix is your secret? As in raisins and nuts trail mix? I’m intrigued. What is special about trail mix that makes it so good for warding off illness?

      Reply
  2. Kristin says

    December 20, 2016 at 1:58 PM

    I usually get a flare up of my chronic Lyme disease after our event! Nasty stuff!

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      December 20, 2016 at 2:04 PM

      Wow — I’m sorry to hear that! It’s easy to put a lot of pressure on ourselves and then — wham — body reacts.

      Reply

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Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

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Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

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I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)

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The auction was entertaining .. proactive … the crowd was involved and felt a part of it,” he said, emphasizing, “The entertainment value was huge.

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2012 Oakcrest Anne and CarolinaSherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiIHNyYz0iaHR0cDovL3JlZGFwcGxlLmV2c3VpdGUuY29tL3BsYXllci9NakF4TWkxSGRXVnpkSE10UW5Wc2JHbHpMVXRMTFdGdVpDMU5hV05vWVdWc0xVcHZjMlZ3YUM1dGNEUT0vP2NvbnRhaW5lcj1ldnAtV0JBVTkwTlVBUyI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+PGRpdiBpZD0iZXZwLVdCQVU5ME5VQVMiIGRhdGEtcm9sZT0iZXZwLXZpZGVvIiBkYXRhLWV2cC1pZD0iTWpBeE1pMUhkV1Z6ZEhNdFFuVnNiR2x6TFV0TExXRnVaQzFOYVdOb1lXVnNMVXB2YzJWd2FDNXRjRFE9Ij48L2Rpdj4= They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

Staci Meruvia 150 ptYou have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, … Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiIHNyYz0iaHR0cDovL3JlZGFwcGxlLmV2c3VpdGUuY29tL3BsYXllci9SM1ZsYzNRckxTdEJTRUVyTFN0SFpYSnBLeTByVTJobGNuSjVLMlJwWkN0aEsyZHlaV0YwSzJwdllpdHZaaXRuWlhSMGFXNW5LMlJ2Ym05eWN5dDBieXR6ZEdWd0szVndLM1J2SzNSb1pTdHdiR0YwWlN0M2FYUm9iM1YwSzIxaGEybHVaeXQwYUdWdEsyWmxaV3dyWjNWcGJIUjVMbTF3TkE9PS8/Y29udGFpbmVyPWV2cC1CVk4xMFNDUTRXIj48L3NjcmlwdD48ZGl2IGlkPSJldnAtQlZOMTBTQ1E0VyIgZGF0YS1yb2xlPSJldnAtdmlkZW8iIGRhdGEtZXZwLWlkPSJSM1ZsYzNRckxTdEJTRUVyTFN0SFpYSnBLeTByVTJobGNuSjVLMlJwWkN0aEsyZHlaV0YwSzJwdllpdHZaaXRuWlhSMGFXNW5LMlJ2Ym05eWN5dDBieXR6ZEdWd0szVndLM1J2SzNSb1pTdHdiR0YwWlN0M2FYUm9iM1YwSzIxaGEybHVaeXQwYUdWdEsyWmxaV3dyWjNWcGJIUjVMbTF3TkE9PSI+PC9kaXY+ The following… Read The Rest “Geri”

Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiIHNyYz0iaHR0cDovL3JlZGFwcGxlLmV2c3VpdGUuY29tL3BsYXllci9SM1ZsYzNRdE1qQXhNUzFPU0ZOUVEwRXRTWEpsYm1VdWJYQTBMVEU9Lz9jb250YWluZXI9ZXZwLTVHMlVHQlFGN1YiPjwvc2NyaXB0PjxkaXYgaWQ9ImV2cC01RzJVR0JRRjdWIiBkYXRhLXJvbGU9ImV2cC12aWRlbyIgZGF0YS1ldnAtaWQ9IlIzVmxjM1F0TWpBeE1TMU9TRk5RUTBFdFNYSmxibVV1YlhBMExURT0iPjwvZGl2Pg== “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal… Read The Rest “Irene”

Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering.   Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

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