Challenge For Charity auction sets new standard… again

The 2007 MBA Challenge for Charity (C4C) Gala and Auction raised more than $208,000 to support Special Olympics Washington and the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, surpassing the previous record of $158,000 that was tallied at last year's event.

The annual event, organized by UW MBA students, welcomed 250 guests to the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on a February evening.

This year's "Raise the Paddle" campaign alone yielded $63,000, including an unexpected kickoff gift of $25,000 from Shawn and John Goodman.

The live auction peaked with a cameo by the famed Pike Place Fish Mongers who demonstrated their flawless fish-flinging prowess between tables – and fetched $3,000 for a fresh seafood feast prepared by the mongers at the winning bidder's home.

Other successful bidders will throw a party cruise for 150, luxuriate at spas, wineries and golf resorts, watch the Mariners in style, take the half-time shot at a Sonics game, shop Nordstrom with a personal fashion consultant, embark on scenic flights, skydive, climb Mount Rainier, and travel to Whistler, San Francisco, Cancun or Aruba, among the goodies on offer at the auction.

The annual C4C Gala and Auction is the principal fundraiser of the UW MBA team, which won the challenge in 2006 for the seventh straight year, logging more than 1,600 volunteer hours and raising $158,000 to support Special Olympics and the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Challenge for Charity is the annual battle among prominent West Coast business schools to provide the most support to local service organizations. MBAs at the UW, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, Pepperdine and UC Davis compete annually for the coveted "Golden Briefcase."