Photo courtesy of Marcfirst.

On Thursday, November 7th the 12th Annual Martinis for Marcfirst Auction will be hosted at the Double Tree Hotel in Bloomington.

Martinis for Marcfirst is an annual silent auction fundraiser for Marcfirst, a local organization that serves both children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

“It’s our largest fundraiser of the year,” said Julie Lindstrom, the Director of Development for Marcfirst. “It typically brings in anywhere from twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars every year.”

The night will include a buffet, wine bar, and music, all included with the purchase of a ticket. 

“This year we’re doing a potato bar which will be a first for us, and should be very good.” said Lindstrom. “We’ll be serving heavy appetizers, and we’ll also have a large variety of wine for people to choose from.”

The silent auction will include a vast variety of things, from trips and sporting event tickets, to wine baskets. 

“We have a wine making trip for two to Sonoma Valley, where the two will get to go to 3 different vineyards, have wine tastings, and learn about the process of making wine.” said Lindstrom. “We also have four of Disney World’s Hopper Pass tickets up for auction.”

Some of the various sporting event tickets include tickets to Northwestern football games, Dartmouth basketball games, and a luxury sweet package at the US Cellular Colosseum for the Bloomington Thunder hockey team, which includes 12 tickets for the luxury suite. 

Also included in the auction will be martini glasses that have been decorated by both professional and amateur artist from the community.

“We have 45 glasses in this years auction,” said Lindstrom. “There are  varieties of styles that people come up with each year. Some are painted and some are infused with other elements. Some of them are even used as parts of sculptures.”

All the money raised from the event will go to help fund an important organization. 

“Marcfirst has been serving children and adults with developmental disabilities in the community since 1955.” said Lindstrom. “We currently help and support almost 500 people throughout McLean county.”

They serve people with disabilities in a variety of ways. Some of their programs include pediatric therapy, developmental training, residential, and high school transition programs. 

Their SPICE pediatric therapy program provides help for children from birth through age fourteen with speech, language, and motor therapy. 

Through the developmental training program they help adults work on a variety of life skills.

The residential program provides 24 hour support for people over the age of eighteen with activities of daily life. They provide support through helping develop skills in economic self sufficiency, independence, and community integration. 

The high school transition program helps students with developmental disabilities, that are about to graduate, transition into adult life. 

Tickets for the event can be purchased through Marcfirst’s website for a discounted $40, or for $45 at the door.

The event will be hosted at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, and will start at 6:30 pm. 

For a more complete list of the items up for auction, or more about Marcfirst and all of their programs you can visit their website at www.marcfirst.org.