For the HFS High Hopes Auction, contractually each HFS family is required to donate cash or to procure goods/services valued at $300 or more. The procurement deadline to turn your items in is November 18, 2025. If you haven't turned in your items or made special arrangements for a later date, you will need to pay $350 in cash/check in lieu of the item donation.
Here are the three ways you can fulfill your auction donation obligation:
- Pay Cash – You can simply send us cash or a check for $300. We will then use this money to purchase items for the auction.
- Procure Items - By utilizing the resources and connections you have you can avoid spending any money out of your pocket. Think about yourself, your family, friends and/or co-workers. What are the talents or services that exist? Perhaps there are wood crafting skills that can be used to build birdhouses or garden benches? Or maybe there is a vacation home that can be donated? Or maybe a service such as a once-a-month lawn mowing, or house cleaning can be offered? All these suggestions, plus many others, are valuable and would be wonderful to showcase at the auction. Finally, perhaps you know a business owner that may be willing to donate and receive a tax write-off in return? If so, please ask them to donate! The procurement form to use for this process is inserted in this newsletter.
- Purchase items - If you prefer to purchase an item, there are great deals to be found both online and in stores. Please just ensure that all items are new, or that if they are indeed an antique, they have the appropriate paperwork validating this, and the value.
Please note the following rules whether your items are procured or purchased
- If you donate clothing or shoes, please make sure it is exchangeable for the size the purchaser wants. Having this flexibility will make the items more sellable to our guests. This means you will need to provide the receipt so the item can be exchanged.
- Please don’t donate more than 2 of any one item. Having more than 2 of any item tends to cause the selling prices not to get bid up, and the goal of our auction is to make money.
Donation Ideas:
- One-of-a-kind family or couple experiences
- Sports and Camping Gear
- Electronics and Appliances
- Restaurant Gift Certificates or Scrip (allows you to gain required scrip dollars while also donating)
- A fine piece of jewelry
- Themed dinners in private homes
- Seahawks, Huskies, Mariners, Sounders memorabilia or tickets
- Box seats, meet coaches or players
- Vacation homes – do you have a vacation home or a relative/friend that would donate one for a weekend? These are our bestsellers!
- Wine, wine tastings
- Brewery/spirits tour
- Sun Valley, San Juan Islands, Whistler, Lake Chelan, Hood Canal, or Whidbey Island getaway
- Mexico and Hawaii condos or homes
- Parent’s night out or weekend away – Seattle, San Francisco, Napa
- Local theatre or shopping packages, ballet tickets, 5th Avenue
- Sports Clinics or camps; any element of celebrity a bonus
- Yard work, repair services, painting services, etc.
- Homemade frozen dinners
- Sign-up parties at your home such as Flip Flops & Lemon Drops or Mimosa & Robes
- Children’s Party Packages
- Frozen meals that you have prepared or Cookies for a Year that you bake for the winner.
These are just some ideas…. there are so many options out there! Don’t feel obligated to stick to this list!!