Oregon: “Smashing” Success in Fundraising

Oregon: “Smashing” Success in Fundraising

Where in Oregon can you go on a Friday night to have a piece of an $800 chocolate cake, see an auctioneer get a whipped cream pie smashed into his face, and watch over 250 fun-loving loggers raise over $28,000 for children’s hospitals? The answer is: the Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) 42nd annual convention and Log A Load For Kids fundraiser! The dessert auction was new this year. Rather than serving a traditional dessert at each table, a dozen delectable and calorie-rich works of art were auctioned to those who wished to have dessert after dinner. This auction alone raised $3,400, with the top prize going to AOL President Bruce Zuber, who bid $800 on a double chocolate cake (that he was nice enough to share with others).

Spirited bidding continued throughout the evening on some very high-quality donated items:

four tickets to the 2012 Civil War football game between U of O and OSU (donated by Beaver Sports Properties–$2,100 value); two axle-steering tires (donated by Les Schwab Tires- $1,800); an MS 440 Stihl power saw (donated by Zuber & Sons Logging-$3,300); and a Savage .270 hunting rifle with scope (donated by Westech Rigging-$2,500). Bidding for these items, and for many others, kept spirits high and checkbooks open far into the night. The total raised-$28,085-beat last year’s by 33%. Either things are getting better, or everyone was on a sugar high.

Special thanks go to Jaime Yraguen for donating his professional auctioneering skills, once again, and for being such a good sport about the cream pie that was “donated” into his face, as a reward. Log A Load For Kids Committee Chair Jean Zuber and her Committee did another fantastic job organizing this annual event.