TELLURIDE ACADEMY’S “CHARITY BUZZ” AUCTION

10 Dec TELLURIDE ACADEMY’S “CHARITY BUZZ” AUCTION

Antique wagon

AN AUTHENTIC 18TH-CENTURY WAGON, A TRULY UNIQUE ANTIQUE!

FESTIVAL PASSES, ALL WITH BUILT-IN MEGA PERKS AND LODGING.

I know. I know. Turn off the caps. Stop the shouting. Chill on the exclamation points. But I need to grab your attention because time is of the essence  and the Telluride Academy is essential to the lives of the many young people the nonprofit serves every summer with its wide-ranging enrichment activities. Including kids on scholarships.

And RIGHT NOW the Telluride Academy is hosting an online auction with many unique items to bid on to help the Academy send kids from all walks of life to camp next summer. From VIP summer festival packages and luxury accommodations in Telluride to unique college internships and national sporting and music events, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list.

Again, a reminder: all funds raised from the Academy’s auction from “Charity Buzz”  go to benefit its Tuition Assistance Fund, designed for local families with proven financial need.

“As always, our auction items are unique in that many of them are experiences available all across the country” says Elaine Demas, Academy Executive Director.

Among Lanie’s favorites (with commentary):

• A private cupcake baking lesson for 6 people at the Magnolia Bakery in NYC… Yum!

• A beautiful Jane Taylor oil painting, “Fruits & Vegetables” … It’s magnificent!

• Be a DJ for a day at Telluride’s own KOTO radio… on the “Rockin with T Brown” show

Blues & Brews pass has extra special benies

• And the aforementioned wagon and those festival passes with special perks…Very insider. Very special.

A riff on the Telluride Academy (so you know where your money is going):

Telluride Academy is everyone’s favorite summer camp. For 32 years, the nonprofit has provided outdoor experiential adventures and theater enrichment programs for young people ages 5-18. At its inception in 1980 in Wendy Brook’s backyard, just six children were registered. Today the Academy serves over 800 students.

The institution offers 100 one- to two-week programs, as well as after-school activities throughout the academic year to young people from local and visiting families, creating experiences that fosters relationships lasting a lifetime.

In 2011, the Academy served 834 students. 309 (or 37%) of those students were Telluride locals, many of whom were in need of assistance with tuition.

“Our goal is to never have to turn away a child due to their family’s financial challenges” explains Lanie.

Of the 309 local students who attended Academy programming last summer, 280 received some form of Tuition Assistance.

Also in 2012, through a grant from the National Inclusion Project and in collaboration with Telluride Adaptive Sports, the Academy was able to substantially strengthen the services it provides students with disabilities. The collaboration  matched up 22 students withe special needs with “buddies” who enabled them to participate in Academy summer enrichment activities. The initiative was a huge success, providing a foundation everyone hopes to build upon in future.

In addition to the support of 100s of Academy families, the Telluride Academy is supported by many local and regional funding sources including the Telluride Foundation, CCAASE, Just for Kids, San Miguel County Commissioners, The Far Away Foundation, The Boettcher Foundation, Home Loan Insurance, and The National Inclusion Project.

Local Sponsors include Paragon/The Boot Doctors, Telluride Properties & Telluride Luxury Rentals and Real Estate.