2007-11-20
Fall Auction Raises $6,000 for Perspectives
Perspectives held its first Fall Auction on Friday, November 16, 2007, at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia. The auction raised over $6,000 and was attended by over 100 guests.
The spotlight item was donated by the Office of Senator Arlen Specter, which was a VIP Package for four and included reservations at the Senator's Only Dining Room, hailed by many as one of the most exclusive locations in the United States. Steve Dittmann was the winner of the spotlight auction item.
Other popular items included a raffle for a flatscreen TV, won by Fran Sutter, and a restaurant certificate valid at any Steven Starr restaurant, won by Marilu Sutter. The auction featured a number of items, from Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies collectibles to handcrafted jewelry to a deluxe stays at the Inn at Penn.
Miss Philadelphia 2006, Mary Kaye Jacono, gave the special performance for the evening, with her rendition of the classic "I'll Be Seeing You." The Drexel Jazztet, a talented group of performers from Drexel University, performed throughout the evening.
The Fall Auction was planned and directed by a Management 100 team, a group of undergraduate students from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. These students include: Piervincenzo Russo (Team Leader), Michael Andrew, D'Andre Carr, Vidya Dabir, Albert Gonzales, Eleonore Hajek, Nimit Jain, Peter Lui, Joe McKendry, Catherine Pao, and Simeon McMillan (TA).
The proceeds from the auction will go towards afterschool programming in Philadelphia schools and towards the Philadelphia Debate Institute, Perspectives' annual residential summer debate program.
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Perspectives is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2005 by former debaters Alexander McCobin and Lilly Deng, who are now students at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. Perspectives received an angel grant from philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest and has since been supported by the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Campbell-Oxholm Foundation, and the Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust "A", as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno, and many orthers. Since its founding, Perspectives has educated students from 30 schools in 8 states, with a focus on the Philadelphia region. Please visit www.perspectivesdebate.org for more details.
Perspectives is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promoting youth debate education. Students who debate dramatically increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking, and public speaking skills. In the process, debate becomes a forum to foster youth achievement and civic responsibility. Perspectives has worked with over 400 students in 8 states through afterschool, summer, and special events. www.philadebate.org