NSU Scholarship Auction
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Hundreds of exciting items will go for bargain prices on Saturday evening, Aug. 24, as Northwestern State hosts Scholarship Auction 2013 in Prather Coliseum, with proceeds generated from the bi-annual event supporting over 350 NSU student-athletes.
The Scholarship Auction has been held in odd-numbered years, on the Saturday night prior to the kickoff of the Demons’ football season, since 1989. This will be the 13th Scholarship Auction benefitting NSU athletics through the Demon Victory Fund, also known as the NSU Athletic Association.
The event includes hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, a sumptuous dinner, and entertainment while guests shop during the silent auction. Northwestern student-athletes and spirit group members interact with patrons. The NSU staff of coaches and administrators mingle with guests.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for a social hour, with dinner and the live auction culminating the evening. Tickets are $125 per couple, $500 for a table of eight, and $1,000 for a VIP table of 10 front-row seats.
A wide range of items – ranging from trips and experiences, to appliances, artwork, clothing, jewelry, furniture and even cars – have been featured in past Scholarship Auctions.
A staple of past auctions has been a trip to attend the U.S. Open Golf Championships, along with outings including hotel and travel to college, NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball games. Vacation trips to scenic locations along with hunting and fishing outings are typical items.
Among the “experiences” on past auction menus have been conducting the Spirit of Northwestern marching band, calling plays in a Demon football game, sitting in as a color analyst on the Demon Sports Network or as a morning DJ, and even having the winning bidder’s name attached to a character in a romance novel.
“It’s a fun evening for everyone, and for many, it’s a night when they walk away with incredible deals on items that are needed or simply dreamed about,” said NSU director of athletics Greg Burke, who spearheaded the creation of the Scholarship Auction while an assistant to then-director of athletics Tynes Hildebrand. “Simply as an entertaining outing, it’s great. There are opportunities at every turn to purchase items that may truly be bought at a big discount from their market value. Everybody goes home happy, and scholarships for NSU student-athletes get valuable support.”
The auction coordinator is Patric DuBois, who managed the 2011 Auction to unprecedented success.
“We’re very excited about this year’s Auction,” he said. “Already, we have lots of volunteers who are working to make this one the best ever. It’s going to be a great night with long-lasting benefits for the winning bidders and for the student-athletes at Northwestern.”
The Demon Victory Fund (aka “NSU Athletic Association”) is the official tax-deductible, development arm of Northwestern State intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the DVF is to benefit the student-athlete annual scholarship fund, and also to secure funding for facility enhancement projects, marketing and promotion of Demon athletics events, and endowed scholarships. There are over 350 student-athletes participating in 14 Division I athletic programs at Northwestern.
For more information, or to donate an auction item, contact DuBois at duboisp@nsula.edu via e-mail or by calling 318-357-5001, or contact Burke at burkeg@nsula.edu or call 318-357-5251.
