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You are here: Home / Live Auctions / Auction Item Idea: Heavy Equipment Training School
Jul 28

Auction Item Idea: Heavy Equipment Training School

Sherry Truhlar

I love to learn. I believe that any subject can be interesting — an adventure, really — if you simply have the right teacher. I’ve undertaken dozens of classes over the years just for the pleasure of learning. (Auctioneering school was one of those classes.)

Tonight while driving back from a client meeting, I passed a training academy which was so unusual it made me whip my neck around to read the sign again. Call me crazy, but this could be a unique auction item idea for the live or silent auction.

It’s been months since I’ve driven on Howard Road between I-295 and South Capitol Street. The last time I took that route, the area had a new elementary school, a sheet metal building, and (what appeared to be) an abandoned junkyard. Today, the junkyard was gone and the sign on the chain link fence read HEAVY EQUIPMENT TRAINING ACADEMY.

Bulldozers, dump trucks and other construction equipment sat behind the fence. A Google search revealed many of these heavy equipment schools across the country.

Although the individual training courses offered by the academy are several weeks long, I wonder if the academy might be persuaded to donate a 1-hour hands-on lesson (with an instructor) to operate a bulldozer? Or a backhoe? Or an excavator?

Consider the potential of this idea … If Tonka dump trucks were your husband’s favorite sandbox toy, you could buy him the real deal experience at your charity auction fundraiser!  He’ll enjoy a one-hour dump truck lesson for his birthday while you support your non profit. On his big day, send a buddy with him to take (hilarious) photos, and by the time they both return from the adventure, you’ll have his surprise birthday party all set-up.

This sounds like such a riot that it almost makes me wish I had a husband.

Does your young son love to watch the bulldozer operators working along the highway? Perhaps the academy would donate the opportunity to sit in a real dozer at the academy. Your son would be in 7th heaven.

I’ve heard it said that men are just little boys who never really grow up. If that’s true, then these big boys toys would be a perfect fit for the man in your life.

I suspect that even adventurous females would bid on this at a fundraising auction. (I know I would.) I envision this idea as being more of a silent auction item, but it could go into the live auction, too.

BRRRM. BRRRRM. BRRRRRRRRRRM. (My best attempt at writing the sound a bulldozer makes…)

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Copyright © 2009 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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Sherry takes 3rd at the Virginia Auctioneer Championship contest!

Comments

  1. Maria D Cecchini says

    June 7, 2010 at 9:36 AM

    Hi Sherry –
    As a former heavy equipment operator at a steel mill here in Pittsburgh, I can attest to the pure joy found in diesel-powered fun. I encourage any ladies out there to put their steel-toed boots on and go for it. The machine doesn’t do a gender check before you climb the ladder up.
    Good post – Maria DC

    • admin says

      June 7, 2010 at 10:36 AM

      Maria,
      I’m so glad you commented! Thanks so much for writing and encouraging the gals who are reading. I used to sell a specialty cement into the construction industry in Pittsburgh (love that city!) and a client let me “operate” (under his supervision) his large crane that moved materials from the river to the plant. So many pedals … controls …. he nearly had a coronary when I started swinging that bucket too quickly. Ah, the good ol’ days.

  2. Roger says

    July 31, 2009 at 2:38 PM

    Ha! I love this, and will definitely start sending procurement letters out to find one for our school auction this year.

    • Sherry says

      July 31, 2009 at 2:54 PM

      Ah ha! Sounds like Roger’s getting ready to rumble … BRRRRRM. Let me know how it goes. 🙂

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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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Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

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Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
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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)

If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

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2016 NYUMBANI Board member

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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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