Spring Spectacular 2013 FAQs
What is the Spring Spectacular? It’s an evening for all parents, their guests, community members and friends of VMS to enjoy delicious food, drinks, music, and company, while participating in good-humored bidding competitions for the many tempting items donated to our school. It’s our most important fundraising event, and has proven each year to be wonderfully entertaining as well.
When/Where will the event take place? On the evening of Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Madden's Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton (6:00pm to 11:00pm)
Is there a Theme/What do I wear? This year's theme is "VIVA VMS.” As you know, in a lounge, you'll see a wide variety of party clothes! Please come as you feel comfortable for an evening often called both casual and elegant. We will have a hosted wine & beer bar, a variety of catered entrees, and much entertainment throughout the evening, so dress as comfortably or elegantly as you choose, and come prepared to have a great time!
Will there be a silent or live auction? Both! A limited Silent Auction and a fabulously entertaining Live Auction will take place on auction night - March 16th
Will there be an online auction? Yes! Our Online Auction Opens in mid March and will continue until a few days before the main event on March 16th. There will be biddable items as well as class "sign-up" items (souvenirs of the year) available online.
What happens on the night of the Spring Spectacular? On the evening of March 16th, you will be greeted with a drink as you enter our event. Then you can browse through the select group of silent auction items that will be open for bidding while enjoying the enticing cuisine and the hosted beer and wine bar. Later, the much anticipated children's slideshow will be shown just before the Live Auction begins. During the Live Auction, watch for some entertaining surprises! Finally, dessert will arrive at the end of the auction, when the music starts to get willing guests up and dancing!
Who Do I contact with Questions? Contact Elizabeth Brice, our Development Director, at 455-8021x212.
Or at school talk to one of our event co-chairs, Mindy Garman and Anne Kennedy!
How can I help? There are many ways to help make this event a success:
- Join the auction committee - We have a place for any willing volunteer!
- Donate an item to auction. Be creative - remember, everyone has something they can give, so some might consider a weekend at a vacation home, throwing a birthday party, theatre or sports tickets, hosting a dinner or wine tasting in your home, partnering with friends to create a unique party or other event to be auctioned, donating an afternoon on your boat or airplane, a product or service from your business, or even donating your frequent flier miles!
- Become an event Sponsor < click for more details.
- Become a “Friend of the Spring Spectacular” by donating $25.00 or more.
- Volunteer to help on the night of the event.
- Purchase your Spring Spectacular tickets and/or buy a teacher a ticket and a raffle/drawing ticket (online ticket sales coming soon)
- Bring some friends to the event.
- Assist the room parents in creating a special class project for the auction.
How do I solicit donations? It’s easier than you think! Local merchants are usually happy to make in-kind donations. It helps them build local good will, gives them a chance to advertise (and it’s tax-deductible). The best places to start are your employer, places where you shop, organizations with which you do business, restaurants you frequent and even your favorite hair-dresser!
Give them a copy of a donation form to complete, and have them return it to VMS, or refer them to this website so that they may enter the donation description directly online via the "donate an item" page of this site.
To ensure all donations are received well in advance of the catalog deadline (February 15th) please pass on the donation information as soon as possible. Even if you’re not a sales person, you’d be surprised how willing businesses are to donate if they are only asked! Also, many VMS parents and teachers decide to donate their own time by offering to host a party, babysit for an evening or taking a group out on the family boat. Be creative!
When are the donations due? Donated items or pledges accompanied by a completed donation form must be received by VMS by February 15th to be included in our auction catalog. Of course, donations received after this date will still be accepted but the donor will miss out on the publicity provided by a catalog listing.
What should I do with donation items that I receive? Bring any small donated items and/or gift certificates to the VMS office with an accompanying Donation Form. However if the donation is “bigger than a bread box,” please contact us so that we may arrange for storage of the item until the day of the auction.
Thank you in advance for your support of VMS!