Breen-Phillips Hall’s (BP) 33rd annual meal auction, when the Notre Dame community will have an opportunity to donate to charity by participating in raffles and silent auctions of a variety of items, gift baskets or meals with “campus celebrities,” is set to take place Friday afternoon.
Proceeds from the auction benefit two charities: Meals on Wheels, a local program that delivers meals to those who cannot prepare them themselves, and CURE Childhood Cancer, an organization dedicated to funding research of childhood cancer.
Meal Auction commissioners sophomores Kara Shannon, Grace Garvey and Claire Hagerstrom are the main organizers of the event.
“This year we have adopted an ‘honorary Babe,’ Cecilia, the daughter of a BP alumna,” Shannon said. “She is battling childhood cancer, so we are donating 25 percent of the meal auction proceeds in her name to CURE Childhood Cancer, [and] 75 percent of the proceeds will go to Meals on Wheels.”
Shannon said this year’s theme is “BP Meal Auction 2017: Give for Gold” in honor of gold being the color of childhood cancer and to honor the Dome.
“People can participate in the Meal Auction by stopping by, telling their friends and bidding on all the auction items that we have,” Shannon said. “Even stopping in for a few minutes to get some tickets and put names towards baskets is a great way to get involved.”
According to the event website, the raffled or auctioned items include box tickets to a Chicago White Sox game, tickets to a Chicago Cubs game, signed sports equipment from Notre Dame athletes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, $100 gift cards to stores such as Urban Outfitters and Lululemon, themed baskets filled with a plethora of prizes and much more.
The auctions also include opportunities to dine with “campus celebrities” such as head football coach Brian Kelly and head basketball coach Mike Brey. Other prizes include a private yoga class from Steve Krojniewski, founder of True Balance Yoga, a behind-the-scenes look at the new Student Center led by vice president of student affairs Erin Hoffman Harding and meals with many other professors or faculty members.
“We really have something for everyone,” Garvey said. “The Meal Auction brings together people from all over campus and unites them with a common goal, and we love that some professors have given meals every year.”
Students can pay for auctioned items or raffle tickets with Domer Dollars, Venmo, cash or checks. Though most items will be sold through a silent auction, competitive items will go up for live auction at 8:30 p.m.
“Of course the goals of the auction are to raise money for Meals on Wheels and CURE Childhood Cancer, but also as a dorm we hope to just inspire BP spirit and get everyone excited for all the fun auction items that we have,” Shannon said.
Free food and drinks will be provided at the event, which will feature campus brand representatives Coca-Cola and Rockstar and performances by a cappella groups Halftime, Harmonia and the Undertones.
“We definitely hope that it’s packed,” Garvey said. “We even booked two rooms this year since last year got so crowded.”
