The “Bids for Kids: Impact for Eternity” 24th Anniversary Dinner and Auction was held at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills on October 6.
Some of the hottest items at Bresee’s silent auction
were not the food baskets, spa certificates and signed baseballs but a set
of brightly colored stools that had been hand painted by our youth. They
may not have gone for the highest bid that evening, but they were definitely
the most passionately contested items. Patrons stood nearby at the ready,
eager to pounce with a higher amount when anyone dared come near the bid
sheet with a pen in hand.
“They are just so special,” said one bidder, “I’m getting this one for my future grandchildren.” She enlisted her husband to stand guard as she shopped the other tables.
It’s a good thing that Bresee snagged Anthony Muñoz,
USC legend and NFL Hall of Famer, to host the auction and lead the live
bidding. Accustomed to vigorous encounters, he opened the floor with a rallying
cry: “Don’t make me holler, don’t make me shout. Turn those pockets
inside out!” His throwback #78 Bengals jersey—to be personalized later
with his autograph—was the subject of frenzied bidding. Finally, Muñoz agreed
to produce another signed jersey for an eager attendee who was willing to
pay the same amount as the winning bid. Another energetic bidding war involved
a $500 bill; the winning bid was $1,800. Patrons also haggled over a Lakers
package that included a limo ride to the game, four seats in a suite, and
a basketball signed by Kobe Bryant.
Fran Inman, president of the Majestic Realty Foundation
and a local champion for youth, was honored as the 2006 Nehemiah Award recipient.
Inman has devoted countless hours to the advancement of young people involved
in the Los Angeles Youth Leadership Council, which includes Bresee youth
participants.