The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, recently hosted a silent and live auction-events that had previously been part of its annual Human First Gala. This year, according to Leslie DeMonte, director of special events and volunteer services, the decision was made to separate the two functions so that the gala could draw more focus to itself.
The live auction was facilitated by Michael Davis and included an eight-week-old female beagle puppy (putting the “live” in “live auction”), donated by Let’s Pet and Critter Central, which remained the center of attention throughout the three-hour Oct. 5 event. The beagle was sold to Brett Locascio for $450.
According to DeMonte, the auction’s “greatest accomplishment is that we reached out to many different businesses and donators that had never been connected with the Center … 80 percent of our donations came from people who had never even heard about the Center before and want to be more involved.” Silent-auction items included a Basil Hayden-inspired gown by Nick Verreos; a painting titled “The Italian” by Dan Gentle; and an obedience-training course for dogs.
Proceeds are slated to go towards the Center’s various programs and services, including the AIDS hotline, the youth center and the cyber center.