On October 3rd 2008 my wife and I attended a charity auction. It was the annual big event for the Chris Elliott Fund which takes place at the Golf Club at Newcastle. We were invited to attend and sit at a table that was sponsored by our good friends. We arrived early and perused the silent auction. We bid on a few items and found out later that we had won a few of them. We were happy with our purchases and we were looking forward to picking up our packages as we left the event.
During the silent auction there were a few of the event helpers walking around with one of the items that was on the list of the 20+ items available in the Live Auction. The big event of the evening is the live auction. This year it was hosted and emceed by a local KING 5 TV personality John Curley. John did a great job as an auctioneer. John worked through the first 15 or so items on the list. Then he came to #18.
We had seen “Number 18” being carried around during the silent auction. I knew right away that this was the best “package” at the entire auction and it came wrapped in fur. I, sort of, confirmed with my wife that it would be OK to bid on this special package that came wrapped in fur. As soon as the emcee asked for bids my hand with my numbered sign was up. As the bidding went higher my hand went higher.
Surprise! --- At the end of the auction there were two bidders still in the running for auction item #18. John Curley, the emcee, asked if we were both ok with the final price. We both agreed. Then it happened. Out from behind the stage there appeared another package wrapped in fur. The emcee announced there were two winners for auction item #18 - Surprise! We won the first one – the one we had seen being carried around by the auction helpers and the second one went to the other table.
As they walked over and delivered our little package we were able to confirm and verify that the best packages do come wrapped in fur. In case you haven’t guessed it – auction item #18 was a puppy.
We named her Ellie – in honor of Chris Elliott.
Ellie is as cute as the pictures show and she just keeps getting better. Below is a picture of Ellie on her first day home.
Ellie has been and continues to be a great puppy. She is 4 and a half months old now and we could not be happier. She loves to play with the kids, other dogs, and lately in the snow.
Ellie at 10 weeks
Ellie over Thanksgiving weekend (my Twitter pic is here too
Ellie in her first snow
Ellie @ 4-1/2 Months
On that October day we realized that the best packages do come wrapped in fur.
What’s next? I’ll post more stories and pictures in the coming months and years. In the meantime, our family is really looking forward to the movie Marley & Me that comes out on Christmas Day. If you have not read the book I highly recommend it. Even if you have never had a puppy you will love it. If you have ever had a puppy you will laugh, cry, and probably relate (hopefully not too closely) to all the things Marley does.
What’s your puppy story?
What else should you know?
Ellie is a pure bred Golden Retriever and came from a great breeder based in Eastern Washington - Coulee Country Kennel. We are really happy with our puppy and we highly recommend this breeder. While some people may have a negative reaction to the idea of auctioning a puppy you can rest assured the CEF team does it right. Ellie came with all of her paperwork, her initial shots, a crate to carry her home (yes, she went home with us that night), bowls, toys, and food.
If you are interested in glioblastoma research please take a look at the CEF site. If you are local to the Seattle area – or want to make a trip in early October – you may want to come to the 2009 auction. There is a golf event on the day of the auction and hundreds of people attend the golf and auction events. It’s a great time and supports a great cause. We hope to see you there next year. Maybe you can find your Ellie.
Links:
- Chris Elliott Fund - http://www.chriselliottfund.org/
- Coulee Country Kennel - http://www.cckennel.com/Index.html
Comments
Great article.