Prizes were plentiful at last weekend’s seventh annual Ray Graham Association benefit auction. With more than 900 items up for bid, the tempting array at the Drury Lane Oakbrook seemed to turn many of the 550 guests into kids in a candy store.
The collective case of the “gimmes,” along with a $40-a-person dinner, resulted in nearly $75,000 for the Elmhurst-based Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities. The association is one of Illinois’ largest providers of services for people with disabilities.
From fur coats to tropical vacations to autographed sports items, there seemed to be something for everyone.
Guest Kyle Baumann, 11, briefly considered the Michael Jordan autographed baseball and passed by the mountain bike. He had his sights set on something else: a fully loaded tackle box.
“I’d probably go up to $100,” said the Lake Bluff youngster. “But I don’t have any money.” Kyle needed some help.
When Ray Graham Association president William Murphy needed help with plans for the event, he turned to dozens of volunteers to organize the “Reflections of Love” dinner and auction. Their efforts will now mean funds for Ray Graham family support programs, like early childhood intervention and caregiver respite care.
“It means a lot to people with disabilities and their families,” Murphy stressed.
And, thanks to Kyle’s grandparents Paul and Dona Litzsinger of Lake Bluff, that new tackle box will mean a lot to the young fisherman.
