Auction Extravaganza

On Friday night, April 1, WFS will hold its fundraising auction, one of the entertainment hot-spots of the conference week. The silent and live auctions offer a wide range of great items -- many of them one-of-a-kind -- and provide critical funding to sustain WFS through the next two years. Our 2003 auction in Denver brought in more than $32,000; this time we're setting our sights even higher: we hope to raise $50,000 for WFS programs and operations.

We can do this only with your help. Even if you can't attend the entire conference, please come at least for the auction, and plan to bid early and often. And whether you'll be there or not, we need your assistance starting right now, as we begin to solicit the donated items that make the auction possible.

"What should I donate?" Use your imagination. Many of the items have firefighting themes, but that's just a starting point. Sports-related items are always popular, as are art and handcrafts, gourmet foods, and regional specialties. Think of who you know and what they might be able to donate. Are you a second cousin of a movie star? Does your ex-roommate work for one of the major sports leagues? Is there a local company that's supported your fire department with donations in the past, whose president thinks women firefighters are the greatest thing since sliced bread? These are all great leads to pursue.

Feel free to call us at 608/233-4768 or e-mail for more information. Smaller auction items can be brought with you to the conference, or shipped to the WFS office in advance. Larger items should be shipped directly to: