Donations needed!

Now that spring break is over, auction planning is in FULL SWING!  Our best donations come from our families through personal donations or through donations procured through your connections.

Our Annual Benefit Auction relies on the generosity of donors to provide the wonderful items we offer each year. The Committee sends donation requests to businesses in the greater Chicagoland area in order to obtain the items we use in our Auction. But, through the years the Annual Benefit Auction Committee has found that our most valuable and popular items come from families and friends of Da Vinci Academy. Personal connections result in great auction items! We ask our families to support Da Vinci Academy by using their networks to help us solicit contributions for the Annual Benefit Auction. 


Not sure where to begin? Take a look at the list below for examples on what donations have been popular and profitable at our previous events.

• Hotel Room or Condo in Chicago
• Sports Tickets/ Skybox
• Concert Tickets or Theater Tickets
• Vacation or Time Share Donations
• Tour of a Business or Museum (Behind the Scenes)
• Sports Memorabilia
• Water Park/Theme Park Tickets
• Electronics Games/iPods/Computers
• Special Wine or Collection of Gourmet Foods
• Private Plane Ride or Exotic Car Ride
• Air Fare or Tickets (to pair with a donated trip)
• A Collection of Favorite Books, DVDs or Games
• Home Entertainment (HDTV, DVD Player, Sound System)
• Outdoor Entertainment and Recreation Items
• Home Health and Fitness items
• Jewelry
• Beauty Services or Items
• Coffee Maker/Espresso Maker
• Artwork or Collectables
• Thematic Baskets – e.g., “Movie Night” or “Family Game Night” or “Garden Party

Do you have a special talents or can you offer a unique experience. Here are some things to consider? 

• Make a quilt or sew something,          
• Certificate for baked goods
• Host a dinner party
• Build a Tree House
• House/Pet Sitting for a week
• Host a Children’s Party of any kind
• Donate a service from your company
• Offer Lessons (Sewing or Knitting, Sports Instruction, Jewelry Making, Cooking)

Additionally, we typically need about sixty gift certificates (valued between $5-$100) for Buy-A-Bottle and eighty to one hundred twenty Silent and Live Auction items. We pride ourselves in offering high-quality items that making attending the Annual Benefit Auction and bidding on items fun as well as rewarding. 

Download our Donation form here or use our online form to set up our donation. Thank you for considering supporting our auction!

Annual Benefit Auction Planning in high gear!

It's that time of year, Annual Benefit Auction planning is kicking into high gear.

Some, but by no means all of the fabulous donations already received:

- Signed White Sox baseball (if I knew more about baseball I could probably tell you who it was signed by, but not a big baseball fan, alas. More info to follow!)
- A week stay at a beautiful timeshare in Aruba, wonderful amenities, unbelievable! The dates are the week before Christmas this year, 2011.
- A fabulous day at the American Girl Store including a lunch at the cafe. Plan your special outing with your favorite girl soon!
- Custom-painted signs with whimsical and inspirational sayings

Stay tuned for more details about these items and more!

New donations in Art/Culture/Music

Fantastic donations in the Art/Culture/Music category:

EB Creative photography package: Package includes: A two hour individual, children's or family photography session with one 11x14 print, two 8x10 prints, and 15% off all additional prints and products. Fair market value: $400


Hinds Photography portrait package: Family Sitting for up to nine people; custom deluxe wall print retouched, mounted and sprayed with matte lacquer finish. Finished portrait size 11" x 14".Fair market value: $239


Northlight Theater: Enjoy two tickets to Low Down Dirty Blues playing May 27-June 24, 2010 Fair market value: $110

Steel Beam Theater: Full tuition for one session of Steel Beam Theater Summer Camp 2010. Six sessions to choose from, three age groups. Your child will learn acting and stage skills, confidence, poise, and discipline. The two-week camp will cap off with two performances. Fair market value: $350

Painting Lessons: Two hours of watercolor painting instruction using for a beginner or advanced student. The lesson is given by artist C.D. McNamara. Let your child's creativity be channeled through painting. Fair market value: $120

Watercolor painting: Original watercolor painting by artist C.D. McNamara. Fair market value: $425

Sutton Studios donates a portrait package for Family/Dogs

This gift certificate from Sutton Studios has a fair market value of $725, and is for:
Gift Certificate good for weekday portrait sitting for up to 2 people and 2 pets (flexible); 11" x 11" signed exhibition print; $50.00 framing voucher.

Nudera Orthodontics donates $1000 off orthodontic treatment

Nudera Orthodontics of South Elgin has donated $1000 off orthodontic treatment to the Da Vinci 2010 Auction. Come to the event on May 1, 2010 so you can secure this fantastic package!

Concert Tickets! - Eagles, Dixie Chicks, and Keith Urban June 19!!

The Eagles, Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban* will be playing Soldier Field on June 19, 2010 - four tickets and a parking pass.

The Eagles - Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit - will perform hits from their more than 35-year career, such as "Hotel California," "Desperado," "Life In The Fast Lane," "Lyin’ Eyes," "Take It To The Limit," "One Of These Nights," "Heartache Tonight," and more.

The Dixie Chicks - Martie Maguire, Emily Robison and lead singer Natalie Maines - will hit the stage for the first time in four years, performing songs from all four of their albums including smash hits, "Wide Open Spaces," "Goodbye Earl," and "Not Ready to Make Nice."

Urban's career has produced some of the industry's best known and most loved songs - 11 #1s. "Days Go By," "Sweet Thing," Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me," "You'll Think of Me," "Better Life," as well as Billboard's Country Song of the Decade, "Somebody Like You," will highlight Urban's performance.