The Possible Dreams Auction is being held this year on Sunday, July 28, 2013 at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown. The auction is held to help raise money for the Martha’s Vineyard Community Service organization. This fundraising event supports a wide range of human services to more than 6,000 Island residents and visitors each year.
Let’s back up to 2001, the one and only time I was at the Possible Dreams auction, which was then held at the Harborside Inn in the center of Edgartown.
Guests of the inn didn’t need to purchase a ticket which worked out nicely for my family as we were staying there. Many of the Island celebrities donate an “auction” such as a sail on a yacht, or behind the scenes at a TV show, or tickets to the Super Bowl, or dinner with your favorite author or actor. Walter Cronkite, Norman Bridwell the author of ”Clifford the Big Red Dog” books, Patricia Neal, Ted Danson, Mike Wallace… along with the late Art Buchwald as emcee are just a few of the names to donate their time and talents.
But the biggest name was always Carly Simon…
… I staked out my seat on the deck over looking the gardens hours before the auction was to start. There were 50 or so auctions and Carly was #34. Her auction was:
“NOBODY DOES IT BETTER… If you’ve ever wanted to WRITE A SONG… let CARLY SIMON help…co-write it and sing it with or without her at her home – in her private studio. CARLY will burn a CD for you to take home. This is for one lucky music-lover and a guest”.
The bidding began at $20,000. Three times she sang snippets of songs … she messed up the lyrics to “Jesse” which the crowd laughed at. People started yelling out requests and it turned into a short and sweet mini concert. The final bid was around $55,000.
Clifford the Big Red Dog below waving at the crowd as the sun disappeared and fog began rolling in.
If you’re on the Vineyard Sunday, July 28, 2013 go and be part of a fun afternoon and help the people of the Vineyard.
CLICK HERE for a list of the Possible Dreams.
