The Clifford 2013 Hollywood Auction was a blockbuster—glamorous, fast paced and spontaneous—from the opening curtain ‘til the final scene. And now…it’s a wrap!

I’m excited to report that the PTO Auction raised roughly $43,000 (net profit)—over twice the amount anticipated—all of which will go straight into programs and other resources that our children and teachers enjoy at Clifford. The dollars are still rolling in, so this figure is not final.

The event was held November 16th at La Honda Winery in Redwood City. A luxuriously appointed coach donated by Corinthian Ground Transportation chauffeured many of the guests from the Clifford campus to the winery in North Fair Oaks. Guests walked on an illuminated, red-carpet entryway and alighted onto the natural-stone floor of the tasting room.

Hosts greeted guests with a flawless check-in process. The staff of Crystal Springs Catering served sumptuous goat-cheese ravioli, ginger shrimp and stuffed mushrooms, among other appetizers. And—at the 19th-century, copper and Spanish-wood bar—guests delighted in small-lot, hand-crafted wines produced by grapes grown locally.

Over 145 Clifford parents, parent alumni and staff from all grade levels (K to 8) attended.

Whimsical Soirée Highlights

• The innovative Wall of Wine: Participants bought a numbered cork then matched their number to a decorated bag disguising their surprise bottle. All bags were hand-illustrated by the popular local artist, Ed Berljafa. So not only was the wine a treasure—with all wines having a $25 value—so were les sacs, as the French say.

• Heads or Tails? Participants stood and guessed heads or tails by placing their hands on their heads or, well, tails. The auctioneer flipped a coin. If players were holding what landed face up, they stayed standing. To remain in the game longer, players bought beads beforehand and cashed in a strand to stay past a losing round. The last one standing got 50 percent of all the money collected from bead sales; in this case—a cool, nine, purse-lipped Ben Franklins! (That’s $900 y’all.)

• “Where’s Your Bling?” raffle: At the door, hosts sold raffle tickets good for a chance to win a $4,600 pavé-style diamond pendant from Geoffrey’s Diamonds & Goldsmith. At the end of the night, the lucky winner’s ticket was pulled. The excitement built all evening as each person who purchased a ticket wore a colorful, flashing, light-up, jelly ring. Seeing all those blinking rings twinkling like a thousand points of light in the crowd made others covet and buy tickets, too. But there was only one winner. And who was that, you ask? Yours truly, the author of this article!

Auction Action: The Live and Silent Shakeout

The Live Auction raised a whopping $17,000. Competition got markedly heated for “Principal for a Day”; the 5-night “Summer Tahoe Experience”; the “Bay Yacht Party” on a 47-foot Bayliner; and the “Golfer’s Dream Destination” package, 18-holes for four at Pebble Beach.

The Silent Auction brought in $23,000 with guests notably throwing down over American Girl doll “Rebecca” and a “Hero3+ Black Edition” GoPro helmet camera.

The evening wrapped with GigMaster Omar (Music Systems by Omar Rodriguez) creating a mix of Top 40, Hip Hop, Phunk and House music. Clifford party people filled the dance floor while the beats dropped till midnight. All that was needed was an inferno of laser lights and blizzardy, power-fog machines to turn La Honda Winery into an Ibiza-style night club.

Members of the Academy, I’d Like to Thank….

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to this standout, community event. Kudos, too, to the entire auction committee of 35 volunteers for giving their time to support our fabulous school. I’d also like to give massive thanks to all the parents who dug deep in their pockets to bid on items, purchase chances and sign up for special dinners and parties. Your generosity will have a real impact on our children’s education.

I’m saving the best ‘til last….

A special and expressly heartfelt thank-you goes to Clifford parents and auction co-chairs Susan Leathers and Julie Ulrich for their incredible creativity, diligence and attention to detail. This dynamic duo started researching and planning for this affair back in May 2013. Their dedication sure showed. Bravissimo, ladies!

I’m still dumbstruck at how they got Elvis and Marilyn at the same party.

––Tia Knuedler, PTO Vice President

––Photos by Corrie Penafort and Susan Leathers

MORE PHOTOS: To view over 180 photos of the Auction night, click through the image gallery here. And if you have photos you’d like to share, please upload them on the Clifford Auction Shutterfly page here. Thank you!

MORE AUCTION EVENTS: A number of events that were up for bids at the Auction did not sell out. You can still buy tickets! Check out the descriptions of these events and ticket prices here.