Annual Home Theater Cruise Live Auction Raises $51,300 for the Elf Foundation
Nov 5, 2004 12:53 PM
The 2004 Home Theater Cruise aboard the Mariner of the Seas wrapped up with a farewell party hosted by Stewart Filmscreen Corporation, featuring the annual Elf Foundation charity live auction. Don Stewart, a 2004 Volunteer of the Year recipient, kicked off the festivities to a packed room armed with their seasonal, candy-corn paddles bidding on donated items from Runco International, D-Box, Yamaha, Stewart Filmscreen, Monster Cable, Faroudja, Denon, Epson, Samsung, TV Authority, and Anchor’s Away.
The record-breaking total amount of $51,300 reflects a generous bid from Anna and Gilbert Julien for Runco’s VX-1000d DLP projector. As an added value, Pat Bradley of Video Calibration and Consulting in Eagan, Minn., donated his valuable time and expertise to personally install and calibrate the projector to ISF standards at the Gilbert’s home. Sam Runco, Runco International’s founder and CEO remarked, “I didn’t have to nudge Pat. He volunteered to donate his services willingly in support of this great cause.”
The evening’s highlights also included a generous bid from Greg Keys for the Yamaha DPX-1100 projector and a “double down” gesture by Monster Cable’s Kevin Lee offering the highest and second-highest bidders the opportunity to take home the Monster Signature Series Automatic Voltage Stabilizer AVS 2000. Gordon Shackelford of Faroudja followed with a “double down” opportunity for two high-bidders to take home the DVP-1010 processor.
In addition to the state-of-the-art gear donated for the event, D-Box auctioned off a weekend trip to the world-famous 2005 Montreal Jazz Festival, and Anchors Away contributed a stateroom on the 2005 Home Theater Cruise aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
As the event topped the 2004 live-auction revenue, manufacturer’s representatives took the stage from Denon and TV Authority, encouraging the house toward a record-breaking total. Rob Robinson’s quip, “I’m not happy with $45,000” resulted in a personal donation of a D-Box product pushing the total to over $51,000.
XM Satellite Radio spiced up the evening with a dozen surprises, providing Roady II’s with one-year free activation gifts to all the high bidders.
Elf Foundation’s founder and president, Douglas Weinstein, thanked the Home Theater Cruise management David Bott and Gary Reber for their continued support. “We are so grateful for the manufacturers’ support and the enthusiasm in owning these fine products,” he says. “The live auction format is exhilarating and it is a thrill to see the tote board grow knowing that the money raised supports our mission of bringing the joy of music and movies through Elf’s Rooms of Magic projects.”
The Elf Foundation is a non-profit charity created in July 2001 whose express mission is to create Rooms of Magic–private entertainment theaters in children’s hospitals across the country. The foundation works as a catalyst within the consumer electronics industry in an effort to rally support from AV retailers, electronic systems contractors, manufacturers, distributors, trade organizations, media, and others who wish to give something back to their local communities. To date, the Elf Foundation has opened 24 Room of Magic theaters in the United States and is beginning work on their first Canadian project.
