Oaklawn’s 33rd annual benefit auction to include online and in-person activities

Tue, February 28, 2023 in News

MARSHALL —  Local residents and businesses have been busily at work, volunteering and donating a wide variety of items for Oaklawn’s “Feelin’ Lucky” benefit auction, to take place online and in person March 8-16.

Hundreds of donations — including trips, event and show tickets, memorabilia, specialty products, services and gift certificates — typically are gathered for each year’s auction.

Access to information about silent-auction items and the purchase of raffle tickets may be found online at oaklawnhospital.org/benefit-auction.

The auction will begin with a weeklong virtual event starting Wednesday, March 8, and conclude with an in-person event on the evening of Thursday, March 16, at Eastend Studio & Gallery, 143 W. Michigan Ave., a portion of which will be live-streamed.

Auction volunteers hope to raise at least $85,000 to benefit Oaklawn Hospice and its programs.

“We’re asking for this support so we can continue to provide the best care possible to some of our most vulnerable patients and their families,” said auction organizer Cindy Lake of Oaklawn’s Development Department. “Our hospice team guides families through the grieving process and offers some peace during a very difficult time.”

“The virtual fundraiser is accessible from anywhere to anyone with internet access, and there’s no charge to participate,” Lake said.

Tickets for the in-person event are $75 and include an open bar and appetizers. The gathering is limited to 150 people and tickets may be purchased through the website.

Among the donors of specific items are longtime Marshall residents Frank and Sue Boley, who have been involved in the Oaklawn auction each year since the event’s inception in 1991.

Boley, president of Marshall-based Boley, Viland & Co., said his business has donated a Member’s Mark Smokeless Wood Fire Pit for this year’s auction. The 25-inch, extra-large unit is made from stainless steel and includes a cover.

“Sue was on the development council at one time,” Boley said in recollecting how the auction got its start. “My sister from California was visiting and mentioned that her kids’ elementary school had an auction. Sue thought this might be a good way for the hospital to raise money, so she proposed it.”

Boley’s wife also was a school nurse and Oaklawn was a “big supporter of school nursing, so the hospital is near and dear to our hearts,” he said.

“Oaklawn is an important community institution that needs everyone’s support,” he added.

Specific information about the Boleys’ donation and other items may be viewed at the auction website. Other donated items include:

— A baseball-oriented group outing with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. The team has donated 50 tickets for the Bud Light Dog House and includes food, water, soda and five drink tabs for beer. The package is valued at $1,750 and expires Aug. 10, 2023. 

— Another group outing for baseball fans, donated by the Kalamazoo Growlers, featuring 50 tickets with seating in the main grandstand of Homer Stryker Field. The package, valued at $1,250 and with an expiration date of Aug. 10, 2023, includes all-inclusive food and some beverages.

— A VIP experience for hockey fans, featuring four seats in the Xerox/Michigan Office Solutions suite at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on April 6 as the Red Wings face off against the Buffalo Sabres. The package, valued at $1,000, includes all food and alcoholic beverages.

— Three separate entertainment-ticket packages donated by FireKeepers Casino Hotel, including a performance April 7 by band ZZ Top; a performance June 9 by comedian Jeff Foxworthy; and four grandstand tickets to the Aug. 6 FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, part of the NASCAR Cup Series.

— A variety of golf packages good for the 2023 season, including offerings from such regional golf courses as The Medalist, Angels Crossing, Gull Lake View Golf Resort, Binder Park Golf Course and the Marshall Country Club.

— A football autographed by Jim Harbaugh, head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines, donated by University of Michigan Athletics.

— A two-night “cabin staycation” for up to eight guests at the secluded Hyde Away Cabin in Ceresco, including all grilling supplies, donated by Schuler’s Restaurant & Pub of Marshall.

— An “American Buffalo” investment-grade gold bullion coin containing one ounce of .9999 fine 24-karat gold, donated by Hodges Jewelers of Marshall. The coin is legal tender with a face value of $50, but the value of its gold historically has been considerably greater.

— A “bread of the week” package consisting of 52 loaves of Schuler’s fresh, house-baked artisan bread, donated by Schuler’s Restaurant & Pub of Marshall.

— A private acrylic-painting party for 10 to 15 guests led by artist instructor Kat Whaley at Eastend Studio & Gallery in Marshall or a location of the winner’s choice.

— A limited-edition (1 of 50) 2019 Solé Bicycle designed for Chicago-based craft brewery Goose Island. The fixed-gear, single-speed bike was donated by Ryan and Karolina Traver.

— A Char-Broil Performance Series propane gas grill, donated by State Farm Insurance agent Sandy Woods of Marshall.

Those who wish to sponsor the auction financially may choose from among various levels of sponsorship at the website, as well as purchase raffle tickets individually at $10 and in groups of six for $50 and 13 for $100.

Raffle tickets will be drawn on the event’s final day during an event that will be live-streamed on Facebook, visible to viewers through a link at the main auction website. Two winners will be chosen and each may choose from among three specific prizes:

— A trip to Las Vegas from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, including two round-trip airline tickets and two nights’ stay at the MGM Grand. The package is valued at $2,650 and includes two tickets to the David Copperfield magic show, $400 in cash and additional prizes from BluFish Consulting.

— An “IndyCar experience” package valued at $1,500. The winner will join a professional IndyCar driver in an actual IndyCar while experiencing the famed Indy 500 Oval in Indianapolis, with speeds and g-forces up to 180 mph during four high-speed laps.

— A $1,500 check made out to the winner.

Title sponsors for this year’s auction include Schroeder DeGraw PLLC, BluFish Consulting, Marshall Community Credit Union, Albion Electric Inc. and Bruce and Linda Rasher.

Those who wish to contribute or donate to Oaklawn are being asked to visit the website www.oaklawnhospital.org/benefit-auction; contact Kelsey Zeilstra at (269)789-7494 or kzeilstra@oaklawnhospital.com; or contact Cindy Lake at (269)789-7570 or clake@oaklawnhospital.com.

“This event has successfully raised over $2 million over the years, benefitting countless people in our community,” Lake said. “We’re confident that we’re seeing the same level of support this year and that we’ll continue to make a difference together.”