On Friday, April 17, HBS Section J held its charity auction at the Cambridge Boat Club. The night’s aberrantly warm weather turned out to be a good omen. The event – which drew 110 attendees – raised $50,000 for the section’s four designated charities: Assumption Development Foundation, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, Elimu Foundation, and Prize4Life.
Opening speeches were presented by the CEO of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and the COO of Prize4Life. Between the four rounds of live auction and three rounds of silent auction, attendees wandered outside to take a stroll on the deck and admire the water, savoring glasses of wine while discussing bidding strategies.
Highlights of the night included a guest auctioneer appearance by TEM Professor Tom Nicholas, whose donation of “Bowling with a Brit” went for $1,250.
Some of the night’s other big ticket items included:
A weekend getaway at Martha’s Vineyard
– Las Vegas weekend: Weekend stay at Caesar’s Palace, Harrah’s flagship property on the Las Vegas Strip. Dinner for two and VIP access to PURE Nightclub
– Access to your own private jet: You and 2 friends get two hours with Captain Oliver Bladek
– Four Yankees tickets right behind the dugout
MORE ABOUT SECTION J’S CHARITIES:
– Assumption Development Foundation: Non-profit organization based in the Philippines that provides financial support, supplementary education and personal development guidance for high school and college students. The organization currently supports approximately 500 scholars and has achieved staggering graduation success rate of 74% compared to 24% national average. Presented by: Jen Kelly.
– Boston Healthcare for the Homeless: The mission of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless is to assure access to quality healthcare for all homeless individuals and families in the greater Boston area. Founded in 1985, this organization of over 300 dedicated people strives to serve a population of over 6,000 homeless in Boston. Presented by: Michael Farias.
– Elimu Foundation: The Elimu Foundation builds and refurbishes primary schools in dilapidated areas of Mombasa, Kenya. All money will go towards school construction. There are no salaried employees and the schools are constructed at huge discounts due to strong community support and contact networks in Mombasa. Presented by: Aadil Mamujee.
– Prize4Life: Prize4Life is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the discovery of treatments and cures for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The mission is to accelerate the discovery of a treatment and a cure for ALS by using powerful incentives to attract new people and new ideas and to leverage existing efforts and expertise in the ALS field. Presented by: Madeleine Tjon Pian Gi.
