Shopping for the holidays and supporting a good cause go hand in hand with The Ultimate Online Auction, taking place this month in support of the I Am Someone Ending Bullying Society.
Beginning Friday at 9:30 a.m. and running to Monday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m., members of the public can bid on hundreds of items from gift baskets to theatre passes and sport tickets, autographed soccer jerseys, family-friendly gifts and luxury goods.
“I’m thrilled to see so much support for I Am Someone and The Ultimate Online Auction from the business community,” stated project manager Andrea Howorth in a press release.
I Am Someone was formed by community leaders in Port Coquitlam two years ago in response to the suicides of a number of local youth. With teens texting or receiving on average of 3,400 texts a month, a texting platform was seen as an ideal way of connecting struggling young people with professionals who can offer them resources and support.
Out of that work, I Am Someone partnered with bc211 for a texting platform and referral service available to youth living in B.C.’s south coast. The 211 service is for teens from Sunshine Coast to Hope, open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and adults can also use the texting service, too.
But funds are needed to let people know the service exists, says Erin Moore, executive director of the I Am Someone Ending Bullying Society. “The message is ‘feeling bullied, sad, alone, afraid — txt ‘211’ 2TALK to someone.’ This very simple act can save a young life,” Moore said. And the Ultimate Online Auction is a unique way to raise funds for this promotion, Moore added.
Among the items up for grabs this year are The Ultimate Sports Event, which includes premium clubhouse seats to a Vancouver Canucks game with a dinner buffet prior and overnight accommodation in a luxury downtown hotel or The Ultimate Shopping Spree, which includes a $500 gift card to Coquitlam Centre, two $100 Eccotique Spa and Salon gift cards, use of the shopping shuttle, a personal shopping assistant and more.
• For those who want to see the items up close, a showcase will be set up in Coquitlam Centre on Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24. Once the auction is over, successful bidders can pick up items at Coquitlam Centre customer service on Nov. 6.
I Am Someone is also on Facebook.
