58th Annual Toy Shop Auxliary Fundraiser & Doll Auction

The Salvation Army Toy Shop Auxiliary Presents Its 58th Annual Fundraiser & Doll Auction

Annual Fundraiser Provides Books, Dolls, Toys and Stuffed Bears Distributed to Local Children at Christmas

Cincinnati, OH (October 10, 2014) – The Salvation Army Toy Shop Auxiliary today announced details of its upcoming Annual Fundraiser & Doll Auction.  The 58^th annual event, to be held on Saturday, November 1^st, will feature both silent and live auctions, a gift boutique, and delicious refreshments. The fundraising event will be held at the Armstrong Chapel, 5125 Drake Rd. in Indian Hill.  The doors open at 11 am, when guests can begin bidding on silent auction items, shop the boutique and enjoy the refreshments being served; the live auction commences at 12:45 pm.  The event is free and open to the public.

“We’re excited about another great event this year,” stated Phyllis Poeppelmeier, president of The Salvation Army Toy Shop Auxiliary. “The members of the Auxiliary work very hard to ensure that our guests have great items on which to bid, and wonderful refreshments to enjoy. But more importantly, we have to remember all the children who will be helped this Christmas as a result of this event.”

The Live Auction features thirty (30) items, including twenty-eight (28) beautiful collectible dolls, hand-dressed and accessorized by local volunteers.  Dolls to be auctioned include those from familiar makers such as American Girl, Apple Valley and Sophia. Many of the doll packages to be auctioned include multiple outfits, shoes and unique accessories, such as furnishings that include beds and wardrobes.  Each year, the dolls selected for the live auction prove to be highly desirable, and generate a lot of excitement among attendees and bidders. In addition to the dolls, two packages offered at the event are targeted to football fans, or those who want to secure a unique gift for the football fan in their life:

• Package A includes four (4) 50-yard-line CLUB seat tickets to the December 22^nd Denver vs. Cincinnati game, which is a ‘Monday Night Football’ game to be aired on ESPN.  The package includes an authentic Cincinnati Bengals helmet, to be autographed by the winning bidder’s one (1) Bengal player of choice. Finally, the package includes a day to attend Bengals practice, as a guest of Katie Blackburn, on a date to be determined.
• Package B includes four (4) 50-yard line, Section 110 tickets to the November 6^th Cleveland vs. Cincinnati game.  The package also includes a 40” x 27” mounted poster from the Kevin Costner movie “Draft Day,” and an autographed Johnny Manziel football.

The Silent Auction, themed “So Cincinnati” this year, includes an incredible assortment of gift items, including offerings from familiar local favorites such as the Cincinnati Zoo, Kroger, UDF, P&G, Cincinnati Bengals, Mio’s Pizzeria, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Neusole Glass Works, Graeter’s, Cincinnati Reds, Playhouse in the Park, and the Children’s Theatre.  The Silent Auction also includes prize-winning dolls from the Auxiliary’s doll-dressing program.  Auction items are wrapped and ready to be placed under the tree. The details of these great offerings are too extensive to share in this release; to view a selection of the items, please visit the Auxiliary’s photo album (“2014 Toy Shop Auxiliary Fundraiser Auction Items”) on The Salvation Army’s local Facebook page: www.facebook.com/salvationarmycincinnati.

Guests will want to browse and shop at the boutique, “Sew Cincinnati,” which features wonderful, hand-made items from local volunteers.  Adults and children alike will enjoy selecting handmade doll clothes with hats, scarves, shoes and doll quilts for their 18” collectible dolls.

“We’re so grateful to the Toy Shop Auxiliary for their support,” stated Major Janet Ashcraft, Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries at The Salvation Army.  “The event is a wonderful tradition, and provides such a great benefit to the children.”  Each Christmas, the Toy Shop Auxiliary distributes thousands of books, hundreds of dolls and toys to underprivileged children in the local community.  This year, the Auxiliary will also distribute hundreds of stuffed bears to area children ages 3 to 4 years.

The Salvation Army Toy Shop Auxiliary invites all to attend this year’s 58^th Annual Fundraiser & Doll Auction – it’s a great opportunity to get an early start on your Christmas gift purchases.  Admission is free, and plenty of parking is available.  A wonderful assortment of refreshments will be provided, including coffee, tea, homemade cookies, crackers with delicious Cabot cheeses, and assorted nuts.  The event is Saturday, November 1^st.  The doors open at 11:00 a.m., with the live auction starting at 12:45 p.m.  The doll auction will be held at the Armstrong Chapel, located at 5125 Drake Rd. (Indian Hill). Cash, credit cards and checks will be accepted for payment of auctioned items.

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