Oo-la-la! PNA auction raises beaucoup bucks

Here’s part 2 of our post on the Moulin Rouge auction at the Phinney Neighborhood Center Saturday night, which grossed about $85,000. As you can see below, Auctioneer Jerry Toner signals the evening’s success by turning on his red and green flashing “economic indicators” on his tuxedo’s lapels.

Joyce Lem (below) looks slightly stunned after becoming the successful bidder on one of the night’s hottest items: a song written about her by Chris Ballew, singer/songwriter of Presidents of the United States of America.

Joyce told me she thought the song would go for $3,000, so she was thrilled to get it for half that price. And, no, she has no idea what she’ll have Chris sing about.
The auction’s popular Dessert Dash raised well over $5,000. Everyone at each table bids a certain amount, then the table’s total is ranked and the table getting the highest bid gets to choose their dessert first. Usually something sinfully chocolately and possibly paired with ice cream or port goes first. (Everyone bids high because they don’t want to get stuck with the green Jello mold.)
Auction-goers again showed their generosity by bidding $8,000 for the Fund-An-Item. This year the donations will go toward a new portable sound system and ongoing retrofitting of the PNA’s interior lighting.