2002 Harvest Moon Auction: “Fiesta de Bing”

By Jennifer Winters, Assistant Director

This past year’s Harvest Moon Auction, “Fiesta de Bing,” had the lively spirit and flavor of Mexico. Held at the beautiful Schwab Residential Center (the first time the annual auction was held away from the Bing campus), it turned out to be a very enjoyable and successful event.

The Schwab Center’s banquet hall was festively decorated in south-of-the-border style, and the walls were adorned with large photographs of Bing students. As guests enjoyed Mexican foods and beverages, they circulated in the expansive room for the silent auction, which offered fantastic getaways, children’s items, restaurant dinners, art, wine, and sports items. A very spirited live auction followed, emceed by Michael Olmstead and featuring a Pro Bowl VIP package, a 49ers VIP package, a month of meals, a Bing bunny, an extraordinary playhouse, a lunch with Professor Emeritus Eleanor Maccoby, a perfect night in Napa, a San Diego vacation package, five nights at the Orchid at Mauna Lani, a Bentley for three days, and a beachfront villa in La Mission, Mexico.  All the wonderful items auctioned for a worthwhile cause combined with the delicious Mexican foods and beverages to make for a very memorable evening.

More than just a party, of course, “Fiesta de Bing” also raised nearly $150,000 for the Bing Scholarship Fund, once again enhanced by a $50,000 gift from Helen and Peter Bing. Bing is one of the few nursery schools in the country to fund a substantial financial-aid program, which enables the diversity and outreach that are important parts of our mission and contribute significantly to the positive experience of the children at Bing.

The auction owes its success to its participants and also to the hard work, dedication, and generosity of a great many volunteers and contributors. Within the Bing community, the auction co-chairs, Michael Olmstead and Lynn Brown, and the committee chairs win kudos for their tireless commitment.