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9th Annual Silent and Live Auction Gala

Begun ten years ago as an annual fundraising activity, the ‘silent auction’ was held during the monthly bar luncheon with the pro bono awards ceremony. Later a ‘live auction’ event was added to increase the financial success as well as add excitement to the activities. In 2003 the auction was held with the OCBA Gala so that each activity would enhance the other. LAS hired a consultant in 2004 to help with the event and raised over $30,000. This year’s event approached $40,000.

The auction committee was spearheaded by Board of Trustees President-Elect, Esther Whitehead with Board of Trustees members Meena Hirani, Nick Shannin, Heather Pinder Rodriguez, and Yvette Rodriguez Brown, and staff members: Mary Anne De Petrillo, Hillary Lyals, Mandy Silvestris, JoAnne Tucker Hall, Susan Khoury, Catherine Tucker, Milly Gonzalez, Sandi Sumner, Jennifer Wimberly, Luis Maldonado, Judy Johnson, and Kathleen Loftus. Legal Aid was aided by Partners in Time an organization of Macy’s Fashion Square employees. The Macy’s volunteers helped staff the auction event. They included: Jeanne Cottom, Safeera Ysuf, Michelle Debono, Carl Kynoch, Jaimie Akhusu, Cheryl Wrotney, and Irma Rosado.

The winners of the live auction are: Wine Lover’s Collection to David and Kathy Lesiuk, Coveted Isleworth Foursome to Kay Aaronson, One Day Deep Sea Fishing Trip for Four to Warren Lindsey, St. Thomas Tropical Getaway and Roundtrip Air Fare to Lori Milvain, Wine Tasting in Home to Nick Shannin and Woody Rodriguez, Wine Tasting in Home to Joel Sharp, Jr., Ritz Carlton Orlando Weekend with Mercedes to Paul SanGiovanni, One Week Stay Anywhere in World to N. Diane Holmes, Disney Stay and Play for Four to David Yergey, Jr., Amazing Portofino Bay and Universal Orlando Package to William Umansky, Winter Park Boat Tour and Progressive Dinner to Mark Blake, Exclusive Lake Nona Foursome to Aaron Zmarzlinski.

Money contributed by attorneys and raised at the auction is among the most valuable kind of resource. It represents local attorneys’ commitment to Legal Aid and its work. It is also money that can be directed by the Board of Trustees at its discretion rather than under rules imposed by outside funding sources. With over $400,000 in attorney contributions and auction proceeds, the money represents one of the major sources of financial support for LAS work. It also has a multiplier effect because it encourages other funding sources to support an organization which has such strong annual local support.

Legal Aid is also exploring other areas of donations and support. Can you recommend Legal Aid Society to your clients as a beneficiary? Ethics rules restrict an attorney from instructing clients to choose a particular charity over another as a beneficiary in his or her estate planning instrument. However, it is perfectly ethical to have a list of charities for clients’ ready reference to help him or her to decide as to which charity becomes the beneficiary of their estate.

Solo, small firm and big law firm attorneys do you have on hand a list of charities or names of 501 (c) 3 organizations that could be named as beneficiaries by your clients in their remainder trusts or under outright bequests in a will, trust or other estate planning instruments? If no, now is not too late to create one. If yes, is the Legal Aid Society listed as one of the organizations? Legal Aid has been a nonprofit corporation and
501(c)3 organization for more than forty years and helped provide legal services in our local community. For more information, please contact Cathy Tucker at ctucker@legalaidocba.org.