CityView Magazine

42 | September/October 2017 G I V I N G I n an unexpectedly groundbreaking meeting in 2014, members of the KidsPeace board of associates boisterously debated ways to support the Fayetteville division of the foster care non-profit that has quietly gone about the work of changing the lives of foster children in the eastern United States for the past 135 years. Locally, KidsPeace offers essential services such as counseling, intensive alternative family treatment, therapeutic foster care, psychiatric services, and enhanced therapeutic foster care. Words and ideas were volleyed about the table: "Charity!" "Philanthropy!" "Big Event!" "Auction!" "Charity," mused Jerry McDonald, KidsPeace board member and Fayetteville business owner. He recalled, "When someone said, 'Auction,' it clicked. Chair-ity Auction. I immediately went to Godaddy.com and bought the website." e board worked tirelessly and, within three months, held the first annual Chair-ity Auction for a crowd of 30. Sixteen well-worn wooden chairs, intricately hand painted by local artists, were sold to raise an admirable $1,600 for KidsPeace. "We were high-fiving each other," said Jerry. "Growing a business is great, making money is great, but you can't put a dollar amount on helping these foster kids." Jerry, owner of OnlyN Door, a full-service marketing and advertising company that uniquely utilizes indoor advertising billboards and digital media screens, immediately recognized potential for growth. e second annual auction raised $25,000, with one of the chairs—painted by a KidsPeace foster child—fetching $1,600. In a breathtaking moment, the chair winner donated it to the foster mother of the child who painted it. "e energy in the room was amazing," said Jerry. Last year, the event raised a remarkable $44,000. Despite destructive downtown flooding the week before Hurricane Matthew, three hundred people attended the event at the Metropolitan Room. "I'm thinking we're going to do about $55,000 this year," said Jerry confidently. e Business of Philanthropy "I will say we are not the first ones to do a Chair-ity Auction in Fayetteville, but we thought we were the first ones," Jerry laughed. Nonetheless, the team started from scratch. He attributes the event's explosion in popularity to Facebook advertising. "We document the chairs being passed out, in process, and professionally photographed by Raul Rubiera at the end. I try to treat it like a business. If you're going to raise money for something, believe in it the whole year." Chairs are presented to artists at an official kick-off at the ReStore Warehouse each April. HAVE A SEAT! Excitement builds for the 4th Annual Chair-ity Auction BY COURTNEY PHILLIPS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAT THEW WONDERLY

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