LAEF gets prepared for March 26 event

   The board of the Lambertville Area Education Foundation (LAEF) and community volunteers are making final arrangements for the organization’s Tenth Annual Auction and Benefit Party. The event will be held at the Eagle Fire Company Banquet Hall, New Hope, on March 26. The affair has a reputation for providing excellent food and opportunities for remarkable bargains.
   The silent auction will begin at 6:00 and the live auction at about 8:15. Doors will open at 5:30 to give attendees plenty of time to examine auction items. Proceeds support innovative programs for students attending Lambertville Public School, West Amwell Township School, Stockton Borough School and South Hunterdon Regional High School.
   LAEF President Jill Myers expressed elation at the quality of this year’s auction items. “Attendees will be bidding on a host of wonderful items,” she said, “thanks to the generosity of businesses, restaurants, artists and other community members who support our efforts.”
   Works of art will be a highlight of the live auction, many of them created and donated by area artists. Among the artists represented are Sal Asaro, Tom Birkner, James Cascio, Vincent Ceglia, Elizabeth Cursley, James Feehan, Richard Gerster, Gordon Haas, Kathryn Hackyl, Matt Haist, Bob Heath, Tony LaSalle, Michael Mann, Gladys Mitchell, Joanne Nestor, Susan Roseman, Collette Sexton, John Treichler and Sean Tucker.
   Other auction items that are likely to attract spirited bidding include: fine jewelry, some of it designed by local artists; gift certificates for area stores, restaurants, inns and services; a membership key and other items from Fred’s Breakfast Bar; a wine tasting for 10 from Unionville Vineyards; a luxury box for 20 for any Trenton Devils game; a round of golf for four at Mercer Oaks, plus lunch in the Grill Room; an elegant candlelit dinner for six on the Wing Dam, in the middle of the Delaware River; and vacation lodging, including in-season weeks at a Wildwood Crest beach condo and a Killington, Vt. condo.
   A “Best of Live” feature will bring new excitement to this year’s auction, which traditionally offers 50-60 live auction items that fetch bids of up to $2,200 each. The winner will walk off with any live auction item he or she pleases before it is brought up for bid. Tickets for Best of Live cost $50, and only 100 will be sold. Ms. Myers said, “A lot of people are going to go for this chance to take home the best live auction item for $50, with no bidding hassles.”
   Best of Live purchasers won’t have to attend the auction to win; they can review all live auction items before the event and pick the one they want.
   The evening will feature food and drink provided and prepared by area restaurants and caterers, including Cafe Galleria, Inn of the Hawke, Kindle Café, Lambertville Station and Tortugas.
   Remaining tickets, at $50 per person, are available at Lambertville Trading Company, The Medicine Shoppe and Walkers Liquor Store. Event tickets, “Best of Live” tickets and tables also may be reserved by contacting Kathy Ferry at [email protected] or Jill Myers at [email protected].
   Community members who would like to donate auction items, such as art works, frequent-flyer miles, stays at vacation homes and tickets to sporting events, plays or concerts, should contact Ms. Ferry at [email protected]. The LAEF is also seeking volunteers to help at the event.
   The LAEF, founded in 1992, is a nonprofit organization, run entirely by volunteers, and virtually 100 percent of its income is expended in grants. More information is available at LAEF-for-the-kids.org.