Other items donated by Martina, along with the winnig bids:
Handwritten lyrics of "I Love You" beautifully framed with an autographed photo of Martina with the Runaway Bride CD. $1750
Dress worn to last year's fan fair. $700
Black tank with turquoise flower. $350
Pink sequined top. $475
Gold sequined top. $530
The following information about the auction was provided by the Nashville YWCA:
The “YWCA All-Star Celebrity Auction” started 18 years ago and as far as we know, we were the first organization in Nashville to use an auction as a fund-raiser. The money raised goes to support the programs of the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee which include a domestic violence center, after-school programs for at-risk girls, and a Job Readiness & Career Development Program for Families First participants. In 17 years, the auction has raised approximately $575,000, an average of just over $33,000 per auction.
Our very first celebrity host was Minnie Pearl. In the following years, Brenda Lee, Waylon Jennings, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Pam Tillis, Lynn Anderson, Crook and Chase, Kathy Matea and Charlie Daniels have all given time to be celebrity hosts.
In 1995, Martina McBride agreed to host the auction. She had just released, “Independence Day” and issues concerning women became very important to her. So much so, that she began to visit and speak to young women through the YWCA as she toured the United States.
Because of her dedication to our cause, she asked to host the auction again in 1996. In 1997, again she hosted the event and we honored her commitment by officially changing the name of auction to “The Celebrity Auction with Martina McBride.” This year’s event will be Martina’s seventh consecutive year to host the auction.
We are very appreciative of the fact that we were the only non-profit organization allowed on the fairground during Fan Fair. We do not charge admission nor do attendees have to have a Fan Fair ticket. This makes the auction a great way for local people to have a taste of the “Fan Fair” experience without having to buy an expensive ticket a year ahead of time. Our crowds have grown to number more than 300.
People who come to the event don’t have to spend a lot of money to walk away with a great star souvenir. We do have many donated items that go to high-dollar bidders…like the white tuxedo Garth Brooks wore in the “Red Strokes” video. It went for a record high of $14,000. And we’re known for our framed, handwritten song lyrics. They often go for several thousand dollars each.
But we also have items that go for anywhere between $100 to $500. These items might include a shirt Ronnie Dunn wore on stage, or a hatchet from Trace Adkin’s garage or a maternity dress from Faith Hill! In other words, although we hope to raise as much money as we can, this is not a fundraiser for only the “hoity-toity.” Regular folks can have a great time bidding, too.
But if someone just can’t afford to bid, they can still participate. We always have very popular grab-bags. For $10, a fan can buy a bag of posters, cds, promotional material, etc. But at least one item in each bag is an autographed item. Our grab bags are usually sold out way before the auction even begins.
Two years ago we added a new twist to the auction. Martina allowed us to give tours of her bus! For only $10, anyone who wants can take a closer look at how Martina, and sometimes her family, travels the country in style. We hope her bus will be available this year, too.
Every year we can also count on the generosity of Jim Stevens Auction and Realty. They handle the professional auction process with help from celebrity auctioneer and country singer, LeRoy Van Dyke. LeRoy still holds the Billboard Magazine record of having the biggest all-time country hit, “Walk on By.” It was the number one recording between Oct. 20, 1958 and June 25, 1994!
We can also count on surprise guests to stop by during the event, which is always a big hit with the crowd. One year, Wade Hayes made a surprise appearance and literally auctioned off the boots he was wearing. Another year, Sawyer Brown’s Mark Miller stopped by to auction off one of his shirts. In more recent years, Blackhawk, Chely Wright and Susan Ashton assisted in auctioning their personal items.
We’ve got the experience to put on a smoothly running event, we’ve got the support of the CMA, we’ve got a volunteer base who always comes through, and we’ve got an important reason to raise money.
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Some of the more than 50 items for this year include:
LEE ANN WOMACK – Top worn in “I Hope You Dance” video
FAITH HILL – Leather pants worn at her Super Bowl performance
TIM MCGRAW & ALAN JACKSON – Autographed jeans
JO DEE MESSINA – Black sequined Oleg Cassini pants worn at the 1999 ACM Awards
SHANIA TWAIN – Autographed Fender acoustic guitar
RANDY TRAVIS – Autographed softball tennis shoes
GEORGE STRAIT – Autographed boots
VINCE GILL – Autographed life-sized stand up
Over 15 handwritten, framed lyrics of this year’s best country songs!
Grab bags from $10 and up!
Special appearances by Tyler England, Trace Adkins, John Berry & Jaime O’Neal
Martina will be bringing special items for her fans! We have handwritten lyrics of “I Love You” and “There You Are” beautifully framed with an autographed photo of Martina that she can personalize on the back if you are the highest bidder!
Remember…this is the one of the few opportunities to see Martina up close and personal during Fan Fair. This auction has raised over $125,000 since Martina started six years ago. Help her make this the best Celebrity Auction ever!
Call 269-3180, ext. 206 for more details.
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The Nashville YWCA is also happy to accept donations via cash, check and credit cards (Visa & Mastercard).
They can be mailed to:
Celebrity Auction
YWCA
1608 Woodmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37215
