A Graceful Evening 2020

Isaiah 61:1-3 "..to provide for those who mourn in Zion- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit..."

It can be hard to feel a sense of community in a time of unprecedented isolation and uncertainty. Not only do we worry for the health and safety of our family and friends, our everyday way of life is being re-shaped into a new normal. Many essential businesses continue to support us, but many have shuttered their doors to protect us. In doing so, many members of our community will face another potential hardship that will have long lasting effects after the novel coronavirus - financial hardship. 

Graceful Evening, our annual fundraiser, has brought our church and school community together both socially and financially. And now, more than ever, we feel the necessity to continue its purpose and re-purpose our Fund-A-Need to reflect Grace's strong commitment to its families and community. 

We invite all families to join Graceful Evening to reconnect with one another; anyone can sign up to participate in auctions, wine and whiskey pulls and donations. In the days leading up to the event, we will have different ways you can engage with other Grace community members from home. The Peaceful Bodies, Productive Minds Fund-A-Need has been put on hold until next year. Our new "Fund The Needs" will ensure school pledges can be met without hardship for Grace families.

Connect with the Grace Community on Facebook! There will be fun theme days, videos, posts, and ways to interact during the days of auction:  https://www.facebook.com/gracefulevening2020

Auction bidding will open on Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00 p.m. All bidding for the silent auction will be done via this GiveSmart website. Once registered, click on the link in the text message you received to view the auction and place bids. You will receive text notification if you have been outbid for any given item. All items must be paid in full once the auction closes. Auction bidding will close on Saturday, April 18 at 9:00 p.m.

Wine and Whiskey Pulls. We have a limited amount of wine and whiskey pull tickets available. Purchase those as instant items (#903 and #904) before Friday at 9:00 p.m. We will feature video pulls on our Facebook page on Saturday evening.

Item Collection. Winners can collect their item(s) from Grace Lutheran Church and School on Sunday, April 19 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Winners who are unable to pick-up that day will be contacted to make other arrangements. All items are stored at Grace Lutheran School and have been since early March. Your Graceful Evening team will take all precautions currently recommended by the CDC for transfer of the items.

Lots. All silent auction items are described on the auction website. The descriptions include any terms, conditions, or restrictions associated with the item(s). All items are sold "as is." Products and/or services may have restrictions or qualifications specified by the donor so please read the description carefully. Terms are not negotiable. The suggested value listed for each item is intended as an estimate and does not constitute a valuation for tax purposes for fair market value.

Disputes. The last bid received shall become the fixed price for the auction lot. In the event of a dispute, the auction official shall act as the final authority and shall determine the winning bidder. This decision is final. Auction officials solely retain the right to disqualify or nullify a bid.

Graceful Evening would not be possible without our amazing team of volunteers:

Grace Lutheran Room Parents, Ryan Balock, Spooner Baumann, Wayne & Marni Beals, Jennifer Brayton, Rich & Kathy Brooks, Carrie Douma, Gwen Gotsch, Justin & Emily Hartung, Christa Holm, Toni Hunter, Mara Hutton, Joe & Eileen Maggio, Julie Modrich, Becky Morgan, Adrienne Rohde, Josh & Joanna Schubkegel, Brian Schultz, Stacy Sorg, Will Steelman, Allison Tan, Kristine Washburn and Mary Williams.

Thank you!