Celebrating Record Support for the Labor Day Auction

The tents are down, the smell of fresh donuts and "breakfast logs" has wafted away, and the crack of the gravel is just an echo… but our hearts are still soaring in celebration of Hospice of Lancaster County's 27th Annual Labor Day Auction! This year, the auction raised a record $395,000! Up from last year's total of $359,000, this marks the most successful year in the auction's history -- and the record was set hours before the auction closed!

The overwhelming support of the more than 2,500 attendees who braved challenging weather at the Lampeter Fairgrounds enables Hospice of Lancaster County's medical staff and highly trained volunteers to provide palliative care for more than 500 patients each day and bereavement support and counseling for more than 7,000 families each year through the PATHways Center for Grief and Loss. As Hospice of Lancaster County supports everyone in the community, regardless of ability to pay for care, support from the Labor Day Auction is vital in closing the gap between the approximately $1.2 million annually provided in charitable care and reimbursements from insurance.

A number of beautiful, hand-made quilts were purchased for over $1,000 each, including a special Hospice of Lancaster County T-shirt Quilt, which was claimed for a heart-warming bid of $2,500. Many fun sports items were auctioned, including tickets to a Phillies Game, with limo transportation, which went for $2,300 and the original poster from the third game of the 1932 World Series, sold for a winning bid of $700. "Spring Remembrance," an original oil painting by Suk Shuglie, who donated the piece in memory of her mother and husband, went to a lucky bidder for $2,400. One of many fun trips, a "Taste of Philly" tour of Philadelphia's Italian Market fetched $1,200.

Especially lucky were the winners of a 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a 2011 convertible Mustang. The "Win-Some-Wheels" raffle successfully raised a total over $56,000.

As always, a highlight of the auction was the traditional bidding on cakes, some selling for several hundred dollars, which are then immediately donated back to the auction and sold again, several times over. This year, one cake sold for a total of $1,600 in bids. With a nod from the final owner, the cake was then promptly sliced and shared with all!

Hospice of Lancaster County gratefully acknowledges our many sponsors, whose support is crucial to the auction's success. We also humbly thank the many artists, quilt makers, business and individual donors, and dedicated teams of volunteers who make the auction possible, as well as the kind members of the Amish community for the deliciously-prepared food, featuring both annual favorites and new fare. Finally, we thank everyone who came out to support Hospice of Lancaster County — your kind generosity truly makes a difference to all the families for whom we have the privilege of caring.

Thanks to all of our sponsors! Click on the logos of our Presenting Sponsor, Diamond, Platinum and Gold Sponsors to visit their website.