Los Gatos Weekly-Times
Homes
The Real Deal
Pumpkin auction benefits families
Every year, Realtors and affiliates from the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors flock to Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza to attend the Los Gatos/Saratoga District's pumpkin auction. This year was no different. The Realtors and affiliates bid on unique and artistically decorated pumpkins and prizes donated by fellow members of the association. The event garnered more than $4,500 dollars for the Red Cross program, Operation Reindeer and the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Los Gatos/Saratoga District chairman Brian Bernasconi of Alain Pinel Realtors was the master of ceremonies and thanked everyone--donors and bidders--for their generosity. Finet of Saratoga's Dave Eshleman served as auctioneer.
The prizes this year included beautiful fall arrangements, theater and game tickets, a spa package, a dinner package and gift certificates to upscale restaurants in the area. The highlight of the auction was a gigantic pumpkin weighing more than 300 pounds, which was grown and donated by Helen Pastorino of Pertria. Eshleman won the bid for the pumpkin, which now sits as a fall decoration in his office.
"It's so big, it's starting to affect the rotation of the earth!" Eshleman chuckled. "It took three people and a truck to deliver the huge pumpkin to my office."
Eshleman said the pumpkin auction is a good way to raise money for a good cause. "The district has held the auction for many years," said Eshleman. "It's a fun way to raise money and help those in need. The Realtors and affiliates donate beautifully decorated pumpkins with flower arrangements, and everybody has a great time."
Val Brand of Village Square Realty was in charge of the event for the district. Brand said, "We were very pleased with the turnout, and we'd like to thank everyone who participated in the event. The money raised will benefit low-income families in the area by providing them with food and presents for Christmas."
Through Operation Reindeer, Brand said, about 100 families in the area will receive food, clothing and gifts for the holidays. The connection between Realtors and the Red Cross goes back many years, with Operation Reindeer beginning as a grassroots program. The auction provides the seed money to start the Realtor-funded portion of Operation Reindeer. Individual Realtors also contribute to the fund as well as individual offices from real estate, title and mortgage companies. In addition to monetary contributions, many volunteers shop, wrap and help distribute presents and food certificates.
Brand said another portion of the proceeds will go to Second Harvest Food Bank, a private nonprofit organization that collects and distributes more than 30 million pounds of food throughout the year to low-income children, adults and seniors in the area.
Information provided in this column is presented by the Realtor members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at www.silvar.org. Send questions on any topic to rmeily@silvar.org.
