Raison d’etre. A time to pause, and reflect during the American Cancer Society’s Hope Ball.

As a Professional Fundraising Auctioneer, I am awarded the opportunity to witness and take part in countless captivating and emotionally engaging events.  Each and every nonprofit organization that we have the privilege of partnering with has a raison d‘être – a reason for existing within the community.  And with each and every auction and event that transpires, it’s our hope that as the evening comes to its inevitable close, that guests have opened their hearts to the organization’s mission at hand, and take a little piece of that nonprofit’s raison d‘être home with them.

On rare occasions, guests might even leave the event with a new perspective on their raison d‘être, and such was the case at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Ball.

The evening was filled with a love for the mission at hand – giving Portlanders the opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer while enjoying a spectacular evening of great food, drink, and a hearty lightening round Live Auction!

Like most Auction and Events, the evening also included a Special Appeal - a moment of giving which takes place during a slated portion of the time line, wherein guests can join together collectively to support the mission at hand by making a direct contribution at a level of giving that proves to be meaningful to them. When incorporated, a Special Appeal opens guests hearts and minds, creating a potential for support that is unending.

For me personally, this element always proves to be the most compelling portion of the event, for it gives the organization a chance to convey their core focus, philosophy, and funding needs to all of the guests in attendance. A Special Appeal is a remarkable opportunity to highlight the core focus of an organizations efforts, conveying their specific needs for funding, all the while  acknowledging the profoundly positive impacts that direct support and funding could provide their organization.   During this particular Auction and Event, the focus for our Special Appeal centered around The American Cancer Society’s Camp U-Kan-Du and the Cancer Survivor College Scholarship Program. During the overview of these two programs, an incredibly inspiring fourteen-year- old girl named Sara Turley bravely made her way to the stage, stood with poetic independence, and gracefully shared with the audience a humbling tale about her raison d‘être. Diagnosed with terminal cancer seven years ago, Sara conveyed her recognition that the dawn of each new day is truly a gift, and thus the present.

As she accounted for the many things that she was unable to do as a result of her cancer and ongoing treatments, she made sure that she accounted for the things that she could do – two fold.  Her words, her tone, and her presence, made certain that the audience recognized that she was choosing to live - to live each minute, each hour, and with every passing day that she was given.  As I watched this beautiful young girl eloquently open up to our audience and share her story with captivated listeners, I was so very humbled by her spirit. Her tenacity and zeal for every morsel of life was an inspiration to every person in the room that night, and her passion for life in it’s present form, in all of its heartache and raw beauty, has forever changed my raison d‘être.