During each week of Clown Camp® a charity auction is held. The auctions result in raising money for the Mark Anthony Memorial Scholarship, the Bo-Dino Scholarship, and the Wishland Pony Express.
Over the years, the camp auctions have raised over $100,000. It is estimated that over 150 educational scholarships have been funded through the auctions, as well as many other charitable activities.
The auctions include the sale of merchandise donated by camp participants as well as staff members, and friends of the program. Frequently, persons who have previously attended the program will send items to be sold at the auction. Items available in a typical auction include clown artwork, costuming, books, posters, craft items, new and used props, and a variety of other mostly clown related items. Some non-clown related items have included a weekend stay at a bed & breakfast, dinner tickets at a local restaurant, etc.
Some fun and comedy items also work their way into the auction with great regularity, including the pink dress. For over 20 years the dress has been brought back to be re-auctioned time and time again. It was originally purchased at Goodwill for 29 cents, but has earned thousands of dollars. Traditionally, a male staff member is selected to model the dress.
The auctioneers are always staff members or participants. Some of these people have had training as auctioneers, but others just have the gift of gab and can keep the sales fun and interesting. The emphasis is on fun, and one never knows what will happen at a typical auction.
If you are planning to attend Clown Camp® and would like to donate items for the auction, you can bring them with you for the week of your participation. (Items do not have to be sent ahead of time.) Many times persons that have received a scholarship are particularly generous in providing items for the auctions. At the auction itself, cash, checks or credit cards can be used to pay for purchases.