Vol. 32, Issue 2 - Spring 2009
Public Service Auction Builds Community Inside and Outside Robertson Hall
by Yuh Wen Ling MPA '09
Handmade jewelry from crafters across the country; autographed books by Princeton professors; a private lunch with University President Shirley Tilghman; a pizza party with a Congressman; a ride on a Harley; a baseball bat signed by a star Boston Red Sox rookie—these were just a few of the many wonderful items available for bidding at the Woodrow Wilson School Public Service Auction, which took place on December 5, 2008, in Robertson Hall.
Joseph Woodby, a trustee of the Greater Donnelly Neighborhood Initiative, and Garry Harsanyi MPP ’09, a volunteer at the Greater Donnelly program.
The Public Service Auction returned to the WWS after a one-year hiatus. It had previously been held in spring of 2007 as a community service project sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Advisory Council and Graduate Program Office. The original goals of the auction were not only to raise money for a good cause in the local area, but also to offer a casual and fun forum where students, faculty, and staff could interact in the midst of busy schedules.
The proceeds from this year’s service auction benefited the Greater Donnelly Neighborhood Initiative, a non-profit organization founded by Mercer County community members to continue the accomplishments of the Weed and Seed anti-crime program for youth in north Trenton. “I think it’s nice to see students really get behind a good charity,” said Alan Blinder, the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, and both donor and winning bidder at the auction, “I was happy to go with their judgment that this was something worthy of support.”
In its return to the WWS, M.P.A. students – led by Sue Azaiez MPA ’09 – once again coordinated the 2008 Auction. Many months went into planning the event, from soliciting donations to editing the book of auction items to organizing the auction reception. In the end, students, staff, faculty, and businesses from Princeton, the United States, and throughout the world donated a myriad of items. Most of the items were sold via silent auction, where guests mingled while scoping out items of their choice. There was also an exciting raffle for a beautiful handcrafted quilt provided by a talented anonymous donor.
Frank Norcross MPA ’09, the Public Service Auction's auctioneer-in-residence
By far, the highlight of the night was the exciting Live Auction, conducted by the WWS’s own auctioneer-in-residence, Frank Norcross MPA ’09. It was clear that the coveted item of the night was a signed baseball bat by Red Sox shortstop, Jed Lowrie, as it set off a red hot and fun-to-watch bidding war between former Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter and Paige Shevlin MPA ’10. In the end, the Dean won out with a handsome bid – all for a good cause.
The inaugural Public Service Auction raised over $5,000; this year, the auction raised more than $9,800 for the Greater Donnelly Neighborhood Initiative, thanks to the generous bidding of the WWS community and GDNI trustees. The funds have already been put to good use: purchasing equipment for the Community Center frequented by north Trenton youths to keep them off the streets, building a boxing ring for the after-school boxing program, and subsidizing the salary to facilitate the hiring of an assistant for the busy youth program director. WWS M.P.A. students also volunteer weekly with the GDNI programs.
“The dedication and enthusiasm of the WWS volunteers is simply amazing,” says Patricia Pickrel, a GDNI trustee and the students’ partner in coordinating the auction, “We can’t tell you how grateful we are. It is not just the money, which has gone a long way and was desperately needed, but the hard work that made it possible, and the dedication of the volunteers. Those in the community remind us that just knowing that there are individuals who care keeps them going.”
YuhWen Ling MPA ‘09 and Rohan Mukherjee MPA ’09, two of the student coordinators for the auction
Not just those associated with the Greater Donnelly Neighborhood Initiative have been inspired. “Events like the Service Auction remind us of the importance of giving back to the broader Princeton community and furthering the public service-oriented mission of WWS,” shared Rohan Mukherjee MPA ’09, who was one of the student coordinators for the 2007 Auction. “The WWS is extremely generous and giving to its students, and to honor its mission through public service is the least we can do in return.”
Narong Silpathamtada MPA ’10 said it more simply, “I just wanted to be an active part of this community and contribute something that could make our society a little better.”
The success of the auction in accomplishing its WWS goals and serving the greater community are encouraging signs that the event will be a regular occurrence in the future. Betteanne Bertrand, WWS facilities coordinator – as well as donor and bidder in both the 2007 and 2008 Auctions – certainly hopes so: “I bid the first year and did get a couple of things, but this year everyone outbid me!”