Quiet Please This is a Silent Auction

Well it is hard to believe that the convention is only a few days away now. It seemed so far in the distance when we first started looking at the idea of holding a silent auction at our convention to assist with fundraising.

 

Last November, A small subcommittee of the fundraising committee started researching what would be required to hold a silent Auction. with some guidance from Lilian Scaife, we were off and going where BPI had never gone before. Not only is this a first time event for BPI, But as the coordinator, it was a first time for me working on this type of fundraising effort.

 

After writing many letters and sending out requests to members of BPI for donations, we started receiving items for our auction. At the time of writing this article, we will have several items that will for sure create allot of competition for the highest bid.

 

For anyone not attending the convention we have not left you out either. We have put the auction on the web for your enjoyment and participation. The items we have already received are already viewable on the website. www.32auctions.com/blindpride. IN order to bid, you will have to create your own user account. Once you have done this, you can participate just like those of us attending the convention in Las Vegas. If you forget the auction link, don’t worry. There will be a link to the auction on the BPI website.

 

Finally, we would like to thank Aroga Technologies, AI Squared and Serotek for their generous donations of blindness software & services from their companies. We value their support and commitment to the goals of BPI and look forward to a continued working relationship with them and the other individuals and organizations who have donated products to this first time event.

 

If you would like to know more about the auction, please write to me, Richard Marion, at member2@blind-lgbt-pride.org.

 

 

BPI 1st Annual Silent Auction

Dear BPI Members & Supporters:

 

Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) is a special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB). The purpose of Blind LGBT Pride International (“Blind Pride” or “BPI”), a 501c (3) organization, is to provide for the betterment of the lives of those who are visually impaired and who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, around the world. By working with other blindness organizations and organizations in the LGBT community internationally, BPI will do our part to foster a greater understanding of LGBT issues in blindness organizations and also bring greater awareness of the issues and concerns facing visually impaired people who are also part of the LGBT community.

Each year BPI holds its annual convention in conjunction with the national convention of ACB, which boasts an attendance of over 2,000  attendees! The BPI convention is a time for its members to gather in a safe environment to explore many equality issues involving people who are blind, and also to learn more about our role within the LGBT community. This year, our national convention will be in Las Vegas from July 10 to 18. To help us offset the cost of the convention, we will be holding a silent auction during the convention week. We are looking for donations of products and services we can utilize for our first ever auction. Please keep in mind that we will have participants from all over the United States and other countries, so tangible gifts, or services which can be redeemed within a large region would be most appreciated. Further more, the retail value of your donation is tax deductible. One of our committee members will be in touch with you within this week, so we can discuss the best way for your company or organization to be the most valuable partner possible in assisting us to bring greater awareness of people who are blind in the LGBT community and also to bring greater equality for people who are part of the LGBT community within blindness organizations like ACB.

We look forward to working with you on this exciting project to assist us our organization in organizing the only gathering of its type in the world involving people who are blind or visually impaired and part of the LGBT community. We will recognize your donation through our various social media outlets and on our website. Recognition will also be given on our list of donated auction items in our conference program which will be the on- site guide to the Convention provided to all attendees. For further information please contact Richard Marion by email atmember2@blind-lgbt-pride.org.

 

Sincerely,

 

Guillermo Robles

BPI President