Grand buys, good causes bid up value of auctions
Auctioneer Michael Saperstein opened the bidding on a ``James Taylor VIP Concert Package" at $5,000. Within seconds he fielded offers on opposite ends of the tent set up along the Charles River that served as a ballroom for Moondance 2006, a benefit for the Esplanade Association. He stopped moments later and updated the eventgoers decked out in diamonds and denim.
``I have $19,000," Saperstein said. ``Twenty-one," he announced and flailed his arm left to right through the bids until he reached $30,000. Hitting a lull, Saperstein conferred with the event's cochairs and then addressed the two sparring bidders directly: ``I have 30 grand as my bid. If you both agree to it, we can give you each a package for $30,000." Done. In less than eight minutes, one item raised $60,000 for the upkeep of the parks along the Charles River.
For nonprofit groups and causes, glitzy, big-money auctions have become vital parts of the soirees that fill the calendars of Boston's charitable set from fall to spring. In half an hour, last month's Moondance auction raised a total of $260,000. But the speedy success of such events belies their months of planning and the behind-the-scenes negotiations with donors.
The James Taylor VIP offering, donated by the singer-songwriter and his wife, Kim, includes tickets to tomorrow's concert at the Wang Theatre (sitting with Kim) along with the opportunity to attend the afternoon sound check, dinner at the Newbury Street eatery Bouchee, and limousine service for the day. It wasn't the only item that attracted big bids. Two bidders paid $30,000 each for dinners for 24 at the Hatch Shell, donated by Moondance cochairman Dan Mathieu and catered by his Max Ultimate Food . A package that included lunch in New York with Walter Cronkite, private plane service from Boston Air Charter, limo service from DavEl, two tickets to a Broadway show, and a one-night stay in the Big Apple brought in another $25,000.
``We look at what we can offer people that they cannot buy," said Patty Ribakoff, a cochairwoman of tonight's StoryBook Ball at the Westin Boston Waterfront, which will raise money for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. Last year's ball was held on the field of Fenway Park, where one auction item, donated by Red Sox owner John W. Henry and his wife, Peggy, set what appears to be a Boston record: Jim Pallotta of Tudor Investments ponied up $200,000 for all 424 spots on the Green Monster for a game during the opening week of the 2006 season.
Because the auctions are made up largely of high-value, experiential items -- four-star chefs cooking elaborate private dinners, lunch with a celebrity, or special access to a hot event -- the event planners rely heavily on well-connected people with an interest in the charity or cause . These people tap celebrities to donate packages, appear at the event, and sometimes even act as auctioneers.
``We have big, complicated items -- like this year's dinner for 30 at the new Institute of Contemporary Art -- that cannot be duplicated," said Ribakoff, who serves as an MGH trustee and volunteers for several local causes. Two days before the StoryBook Ball, Ribakoff was going over tonight's festivities with the guest auctioneers, Hill Holiday's Jack Connors and his son John. ``The auctioneer is key. These guys will have less than three minutes to make each package work."
The mere presence of celebrities adds to the allure of some auctions, such as the Betting on a Cause & a Cure fund-raiser hosted each winter by Michael J. Fox, Denis Leary, and Cam Neely. That event, with its $2,500-a-person ticket price, has raised more than $750,000 each time. Its items have included private jet service, golf outings with celebrities, and the chance to sit in with Aerosmith.
Some charities find they generate heavy bidding by having a celebrity serve as the actual auctioneer.
``It helps you create a buzz about your event. It helps you have an exciting event, something that people are glad they attended," said Lycos founder Bob Davis, who has cochaired several events, including last year's $2.5 million fund-raiser for Children's Hospital Boston. Comic Lenny Clarke served as the auctioneer for that , and sibling actors Elisabeth and Andrew Shue attended.
Clarke has become one of the most successful, and sought-after, auctioneers for Boston charities. By some estimates he has helped raise more than $13 million -- including the record-breaking auction at last year's StoryBook Ball -- since first being talked into serving as an MC for the Genesis Fund eight years ago.
``I was deathly afraid that first time," Clarke said. ``I've since become known as an auctioneer, and I think it's great, but I have to tell you my mother's not too happy. She says to me, `Leonard, I love you, but I don't approve of what you do. You get people drunk and you take their money. And sometimes it's a lot of money.' "
Carol Beggy can be reached at cbeggy@globe.com. 