The children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital enjoyed a time-honored tradition recently when the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) presented its 19th annual NAA Toy Auction for patients and their siblings. More than 70 patient families used play money and real auction paddles to bid on toys donated by the NAA. Before the auction, kids had the chance to hone their own auctioneering skills by practicing warm-up tongue twisters with Jason Miller and Wendy Lambert, the men’s and women’s International Auctioneer Bid Call Champions. All of the children left as winners after bidding successfully on a toy to take home; additional toys were taken to inpatient families. The NAA formed its partnership with St. Jude in 1995 and since then has raised more than $4.3 million to support St. Jude. NAA also recently pledged to raise $500,000 to fund the St. Jude Post Doctoral Program.
Auctioneers bring toys, fun to St. Jude kids
Photography by Seth Dixon, November 13, 2014