My goodness, that was one heck of a ride for 4 days! I'm beyond stoked with the results as is The Starship Foundation and Renee O'Connor / House of Bards Theatre Company. The bidding wars were FIERCE (I love bidding wars, as long as I'm not in them) and I almost fell off my chair (in excitement) at the numbers coming up on screen.
One of my favourite quotes is from Helen Keller:
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
What can you say about this incredible fandom that we don't all know? 26 years of an incredible fandom, 15 years of amazing support for the AUSXIP Charity Auction and the outcome is ABSOFRIGGINLUTELY gobsmackingly jaw dropping. It takes a village.
Hyperbole? Nope...look at the numbers of the total amount raised (does not include donations / rounding up): $24,355.64
Breakdown of the figures:
The Starship Foundation: $15,851.64
The House of Bards Theatre Company: $8504.00
That, my friends, is one hell of a lot of money in 4 days.
and now for Renee's message of support for the Xenaverse, AUSXIP and the auction posted on her Official Real Renee O'Connor instagram account
Thank you Xenaverse for your continued philanthropy. You have been changing lives, including mine, for over 20 years.
Thank you to the organizers from @ausxip, especially Mary D and Anne who have been on the administrative side of this giant undertaking, including collecting and storing donations!
And Xenites, thank you for your response for the House of Bards Theatre Company, which has been sadly dormant, since its premiere production of Macbeth. Our production of Macbeth closed and the pandemic began. This donation is an important step for me to reintroduce what is possible for presenting Shakespeare and classical works to our community.
@houseofbardstheatreco
Thank you again, Mary D and all who bid on the donations. Can’t wait to see who won my Sunflower painting!! ??????
@ausxipmaryd
BATTLE ON!!!
Mary