SPCO Gala [or] The Rich Are Different Than You and Me

[pegkerr]

I had mentioned Fiona's involvement with the Connect program through the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: her school was selected to be the Connect school this year, and Fiona was selected to be one of the eight students who would learn to build their own one-string dulcimer and play several concerts for 600 elementary students, accompanied by members of the SPCO. (You may remember the rather elaborate arrangements we had to make in order to allow her to attend all the rehearsals.) The Connect concerts were a success, and the coordinator of the program got the bright idea to have just a few of the students from that dulcimer group (the ones most comfortable and articulate and charming in front of a group) appear at the SPCO's annual fundraising gala. Naturally, Fiona was one of the three chosen.

This is a very glitterati affair, tux and long formal-type. Many sequins. We got there partway through the dinner and looked at some of the offerings of the silent auction and then watched the live auction. I am sure that raising money for the SPCO is a very worthy affair, but it still was a very peculiar sensation that made me gulp to see an auction where someone paid $2,250 for four bottles of wine.

The girls then got up on stage in front of this group of people (400? 500? Not sure), answered some questions posed to each of them by the coordinator, and then played a simple piece ("Boil the Cabbage Down.") Although she was quite nervous beforehand (which necessitated some generous hug therapy) Fiona, of course, got right up there, answered the questions with verve, and played her part perfectly. They started another auction immediately afterward which raised several thousand dollars for the Connect program. That was great fun for Fiona (and all of us), to see that her little performance had an immediate positive influence in helping support the program she has enjoyed so much this year.

Still . . .$2,250 for four bottles of wine . . . *whimper* . . .

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"...that made me gulp to see an auction where someone paid $2,250 for four bottles of wine."

Oh, come on. Didn't you write down what they were?

B

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I knew you would ask! But unfortunately, I didn't have my purse with me, so had no pen and notebook with me. Alas, no.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Pity. I have never paid $500 for a bottle of wine, but I've seen wines sell for a lot more than that. And not at charity auctions.

Depending on the crowd, it could have either been a good deal or a generous act. But if you think about it, the winner is likely to deduct the entire cost of the purchase as a charitable contribution. Assuming a conservative 50% maginal tax rate, that's only $250-a-bottle. Depending on the wine, I might have bid him up. I don't need four of anything that expensive, but I'm sure I could have found three friends.

And middle class friends at that.

B

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

It seems extravagant, I agree, but I also agree that if wine collecting and appreciating is your main hobby and recreation, you can probably afford a bottle that costs that much. At least sometimes.

K.

[gamps-garret.livejournal.com]

The only thing that keeps me from feeling nauseated by charity auctions is the knowledge that the people spending the money are not doing so in order to actually *buy* something. Attendees always come to such a shindig with a notion in their head of how much money they're going to endow to an organization. Things like auctions and mini-fundraisers are simply fun and exciting ways to go about collecting. And the "prizes" are truly nothing more than very generous thank you gifts -- all donated by other people in the first place.

*girds self up for the next gala*

Rob remembers it differently

[(Anonymous)]

My recollection is that the 4 bottles went for at or slightly over $10,000, and the note from the donor was to bid high or he was going to buy them back. I think one was an '89 and the others were '91, '92, '93ish. Didn't recognize the wineries. There were only 13 items in the live auction. Golf with Tim Herron; speaking part on Prairie Home Companion; trips to London, Amsterdam, Napa, and the King Ranch in Texas; catered party for 30 with musicians from SPCO; and like that, capped off with lunch for four with the Governor. That one might have been fun with the right three friends.

After the girls played their dulcimers and charmed the crowd, the auctioneer went back out and commanded that folks commit to $1,000 donations for the Connect program. The pace slowed down at about the tenth waving handkerchief so he then pointed out the cards on the table and insisted everyone fill out what they could afford whether it was $250 or $800. There seemed to be a fair amount of scrambling for the pens on the table. I was pleased. It is a great program.

Rob

Re: Rob remembers it differently

[elisem.livejournal.com]

There seemed to be a fair amount of scrambling for the pens on the table. I was pleased.

And rightly so. The program indeed sounds excellent, and I am glad to hear that people were supporting it with donations.

[cpolk.livejournal.com]

I remembered this entry and had to come back to agree - yes, the rich are different from you or me.

it's the weekend, and I am at my boyfriend's childhood home. It's a nice house in a very good neighborhood with a view that must double the property taxes by default.

I was having a shower, and then I was standing in front of the sink on a persian-patterened rug when I was done. first I thought, what a neat idea to use one of those little rugs instead of a bathmat. Then I thought, my, it's afully soft on my bare feet. and then I thought, holy crap it's Wool! Maybe I better check to see if I've dripped through.

So I lifted up the rug to see if it was really wet, and found that the tag was still on it.

this 4 foot by 2.5 foot 100% wool hand loomed persian rug sold for $1100.

It's in a BATHROOM, for ghu's sake. and I shout down, "honey, I'm dripping water all over a thousand dollar rug!"

And my boyfriend's voice floats back, "That's okay. come down and drip water on the thirty thousand dollar rug, I've made lunch."