Anything's possible at Ocean Park
Thirty years ago, at the second annual Possible Dreams Auction, an enthusiastic fan paid $85 to reserve a dance with singer/songwriter Carly Simon at Hot Tin Roof, her Island nightclub. That year, the celebrity fundraising event netted $1,361 to help the Vineyard's largest not-for-profit provider of education, health and human services.
Previously held at the Harborside Inn, this year's Possible Dreams Auction is at Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Two decades later, a pair of bidders each paid $65,000 for "Stories, Songs and Snacks with Carly," bringing in $130,000 for a single dream, and ensuring that Martha's Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) could continue to provide vital programs for year-round Island residents and visitors, regardless of their ability to pay.
In August 2006, when auctioneer Art Buchwald, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist, took the final bid for his hat, the event raised a record-breaking $810,000
This year, on Monday, August 3, the fundraiser, which is being dedicated to the late Walter Cronkite, will make its debut in an expansive new location: Ocean Park, the sweeping green overlooking Nantucket Sound on Seaview Avenue in Oak Bluffs, just steps from Circuit Avenue and the Steamship Authority pier. With a line-up that includes almost all the Island's luminaries - Possible Dreams Committee co-chairman Jim Shane characterizes it as "the best ever offered" - it promises to be
memorable on all counts. A $25 donation per person gives attendees the opportunity to bid on more than 35 specially created "dreams" - one-of-a-kind experiences, otherwise unobtainable, donated by celebrities and well-known public figures.
"It's our 'coming out' event," says Mr. Shane, now in his fifth and final year at the helm of the committee along with co-chair DiAnn Ray. "We're really excited about the move this year to Ocean Park, the people's park. We've gone from a lovely tea party in Edgartown to a new, very public venue we're hoping will be our home for the next 30 or 40 years."
A model for celebrity auctions nationwide, Possible Dreams represents different things to different people: the affluent donors who open their hearts to an island they call home each summer, bidders who vie for the experience of a lifetime, and Islanders who benefit from Community Services as a direct result of funds raised at the auction. But for the up to 2,000 people who attend this Monday, Possible Dreams promises to be an entertaining evening of celebrity sightings, surprises, and fun.
Island teen singing sensation Katie Mayhew will open the festivities with a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," while the traditional favorite Beetlebung Steel Band will be on hand to provide a musical introduction. The auctioneering team of Rick Lee and Susan Klein will again handle the bidding for a unique roster of dreams, including:
A sail with singer/songwriter Carly Simon and her son Benjamin Taylor aboard renowned wooden boat designer Nat Benjamin's new schooner "Charlotte." Included is a serenade by Ms. Simon and Mr. Taylor, a photograph taken by Alison Shaw and hors d'oeuvres provided by Blue Canoe restaurant in Vineyard Haven.
A visit for two to the set of "The Office," NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy starring Steve Carell, including lunch with "Office" stars B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling.
A waterfront clambake for 12 with mystery writer Robin Cook and his wife, Jean, at their Edgartown home.
A role as an extra in movie director Peter Farrelly's new comedy short starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet.
A four-day stay in a 5-star Sao Paolo hotel to attend the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, with chauffeured ground transportation, gourmet meals and sightseeing tours.
A one-month internship with movie and television mogul Peter Chernin at his new company in Santa Monica, California.
The auction will be held under a tent, rain or shine. Special VIP packages are available for $300 per person and include hors d'oeuvres and refreshments, select seating and a dinner following the event catered by Truly Scrumptious and emceed by Joel Buchwald, Art Buchwald's son.
"My father loved the event," Mr. Buchwald says, "and my wife Tamara and I are happy to do whatever we can to help. We've lived here year-round for the last two years and have seen for ourselves how important MVCS is to the Island."
According to co-chairman DiAnn Ray, MVCS provides services to 6,000 individuals annually, or about one-half of the year-round population. From counseling for survivors of domestic abuse to support for individuals with disabilities, the organization's 100 employees provide services that rely on government funding, grants, reimbursements from insurance programs, private donations and events such as Possible Dreams.
Earlier this year, MVCS Executive Director Julia Burgess announced that the organization was forced to cut staff salaries, benefits, and hours due to budget deficits of $400,000 and an uncertain climate for future government reimbursements. According to Nancy Tutko, a Possible Dreams Committee member, the loss of Mr. Buchwald, the auction postponement due to rain in 2007, the move to a new venue last year and the recession added up to a downturn in auction results and a big challenge for August 3.
"This year it's as though the clouds have broken," Ms. Tutko says. "The town of Oak Bluffs has come out to embrace the move to Ocean Park and we have the sense that everyone wants to make it work. There's a new feeling of energy and optimism."
The Possible Dreams Auction will be held rain or shine at Ocean Park, Seaview Ave., Oak Bluffs. Gates open at 4 pm; bidding begins at 5 pm. $25 donation/person, general admission. $5 parking at Dennis Alley Park (formerly Waban Park) with free shuttle to Ocean Park. Tickets can be purchased in advance at retail stores across the Island or online at ticketsmv.com. A complete list of ticket outlets and more information is available at possibledreamsauction.org. Visit mvcommunityservices.com for more information about MVCS.
