Cruise, gourmet meal top Martha & Mary auction

POULSBO — On the heels of last year’s successful silent auction, Martha & Mary development director Rob Gelder is hoping for more of the same next Sunday.

The auction will bid from noon to 3 p.m. March 26 at Kiana Lodge as a week’s stay in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and a five-course gourmet dinner for six headline the items hitting the block.

“Up until last year, each year had a particular thing or campaign it was focused toward,” Gelder said. “Now we’re trying to shift toward people being able to support our overall mission.”

Two years ago, the auction helped the organization purchase a bus for its school-aged children. Proceeds have also gone toward the purchase of beds and other equipment in the past, Gelder said.

“Now, we can respond quickly to things like new program requests because it’s unrestricted and isn’t dedicated to just one thing,” he said.

As in past years, the event will once again be on a Sunday afternoon with a laid back, casual atmosphere, he said.

“It’s a chance for people to visit with people they haven’t seen in awhile and everyone knows what they’re there for,” he said.

Well-known Scandinavian comedian Stan Boreson entertained the crowd last year and local comic Cris Larsen will be on hand this year to auction off the week in Cabo and the five-course gourmet dinner for six, which will be at Gelder’s Poulsbo Place home.

“Last year, it was for four people and it was a really great time,” he said, noting that the meal is once again a hot item for this year’s auction.

Ticket sales and sponsorships for the event are well ahead of last year’s pace and Martha & Mary hopes to take in about $40,000 in gross proceeds by the end of the afternoon.

Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased by calling Martha & Mary at (360) 394-4004.

“It’s a nice, relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon and feel good about what you’re doing,” Gelder said.

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