The 47th annual Possible Dreams auction was held for the first time at Allen Farm in Chilmark Sunday, raising almost $500,000 so far for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS), a nonprofit whose services touch one in three Islanders.
The auction is the largest funding opportunity and chance for the organization to thank those who support MVCS, Michael Goldsmith, president of the MVCS board, said. There is currently a large capital campaign to rebuild the campus, in which the nonprofit is $3 million away from a $17.5 million goal. Sunday’s event got them a little closer.
“The community has always supported MVCS in a huge way,” Goldsmith said.
The auction was hosted for the sixth year in a row by late-night television host Seth Meyers, a seasonal Chilmark resident. “I think you could probably pencil me in for the seventh year as well,” Meyers said. He joked that at the end of last year, he complained that it’s just too hard to get to Edgartown. “And they’re like, What if we do it next door? And I’m like, S___. I didn’t think that was possible.”
The live auction raised about $200,000, but ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations took the event total close to $500,000, and some online items are still available.
Meyers continued the up-Island versus down-Island jokes, poking fun at Chilmark’s broad restaurant scene, which has a grand total of one. “The food scene is banging in Chilmark right now. There are now two places to get croissants. We’re basically Paris,” he said in reference to the new Iggy’s Bread in Menemsha.
The event came on the heels of another recent milestone for the nonprofit — the groundbreaking of the new building at MVCS in early May. The new campus is going to make a huge impression on the community, Dean Teague, CEO of MVCS, said: “I’m really looking forward to the future. Indeed, we have a true, possible dream that is coming to fruition.”
Guests, even those on a livestream left over from the pandemic, could contribute to the nonprofit’s cause through live auction items, a silent auction, and an online auction that continues this week.
Some such items, or rather experiences, included a trip to Lovango Resort and Beach Club on a private island near St. John, a wine and food tasting for eight at Alchemy Bistro & Bar in Edgartown, and a plein air painting of the scene done onsite outside the tent by Island artist Meg Mercier.
Chair of the Possible Dreams committee Dr. Nancy Monestime-Williams said the goal was to curate a variety of items that showcase both the Island and its connections off-Island.
“We wanted to offer big dreams, but also some smaller dreams at multiple price points, to appeal to as many people as possible, because dream packages create funding for real programs,” Monestime-Williams said.
Some of the silent auction items included dinner at the Chilmark Tavern and a photo shoot with Jeremy Driesen. Other items are available online until noon on Friday, July 25.
The item that received the most attention, however, was dinner with Meyers and Amy Schumer, cooked by “Next Level Chef” Ryan Scanlon. Schumer made a surprise appearance during the fight for this item, and banter between her and Meyers encouraged a bid of $40,000.
This year, MVCS also highlighted its early childhood program, and asked guests to raise their paddles for contributions ranging from $250 to $5,000.
“The early years are critical for brain development, and high-quality early childhood programs can positively influence cognitive and social-emotional development as well as reduce disparities later in life,” Monestime-Williams said. “Many families here on this Island and across the country face barriers such as cost and accessibility to high-quality programs. Martha’s Vineyard Community Services’ early childhood center aims to break down barriers.”
The event also honored Larkin Stallings, this year’s recipient of the Art Buchwald Award for Outstanding Community Service. Pulitzer-prizewinning humorist Buchwald was the host of the Possible Dreams auction for 28 years.
“I’ve never seen such generous people in my entire life, so thank you so much,” Teague said at the close of the event.
This post has been updated to reflect total amount raised from ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, and live auction instead of only the live auction total.