Wander the Wild 2023
This year’s 15th annual Wander the Wild will once again be a hybrid event, with an online auction open to all on September 24-30, and the live reception and auction on Sunday, October 1, 2:30-5:30pm at the Windmill House in Chino Valley.
The live event starts with appetizers and beverages on a beautiful tree-lined patio while the auction is on a verdant grassy knoll adjacent to a lake and shaded by lovely trees.
All proceeds directly fund youth educational programs.
2022 Wander the Wild : Another Success!
2022’s Wander the Wild auction was a rousing success in every way! The on-line auction platform (32auctions.com/ WTW2022) was easy to use and encouraged active bidding. At the culminating live auction at the Windmill House, it was a gorgeous day, a delightful setting in the midst of nature, delicious food and drink, and a very efficiently run event. Emcee Marnie Uhl inspired a friendly and gratitude-filled afternoon and auctioneer Jacy Lee was magnificent as always.
While the final numbers are not yet in, we more than met our goal of $100,000, raising $117,215 during the 6-day event for the purpose of supporting the Highlands Center for Natural History’s youth education programs. Awesome!
The numbers tell the story!
- 7 months of concerted effort by 9 volunteer WTW Committee members and 3 HCNH Staff members
- 19 generous sponsors supported our event, contributing $50,000
- 90 kind-hearted donors from near and far enabled the WTW Committee to create 55 unique auction packages for on-line and live event bidding
- Strong on-line bidding for the first 5 days was followed by enthusiastic and robust in-person bidding at the live auction by over 100 attendees
- Our 2 Nurture our Juniper packages were matched dollar for dollar by a magnanimous donor, resulting in matching funds of $16,800
We thank everyone for their kindness and generosity, whether giving of time, talent, or treasure. We can’t do it without you!
Stay tuned for final numbers and the impact of your contributions. Again, thank you all for making this an event to remember!