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Alternative Spring Break kicked off its fundraising season in silence Tuesday.
Cotton candy and free bowling passes to the Family Fun Bowling Center in Bangor were handed out to entice people into the silent auction being held in Memorial Union. The silent auction is one of many fundraisers ASB will be hosting this semester in order to raise over $20,000 needed for the five to six trips a year they run.
ASB is a division of the national organization Break Away, devoted to providing college students with an alternative to a traditional spring break spent in Cancun or sitting at home. Every year ASB takes its 45-60 student members, who are devoted to bettering their community, to a destination in the U.S. that needs attention. In years past, they have often coincided one of their trips to work with Habitat for Humanity.
“The components of [ASB] are strong, direct service, alcohol and other drug-free activities, and diversity, both within the group and through the experiences encountered,” said Lynette Dexter, assistant director of the Office of Student Employment and Volunteer Programs. “Ultimately, the goal is to create active citizens who find avenues for continued community involvement.”
ASB is still in the process of deciding which trips to consider and are keeping possible destinations mum for now in order to avoid students joining just for the purpose of going to New Orleans or Florida. Budgeting and a clear idea of how much money the group needs to raise will take place once the trips are planned.
ASB is devoted to small community projects as well, and it welcomes nonmembers who wish to make a difference to participate in their weekend service trips around the local community. Other fundraisers and projects include football stadium cleanups, bottle drives and bowling night. On Saturday, ASB will host a carwash from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Irving on Stillwater Avenue.
ASB members are passionate about their volunteer work and consider it the highlight of their busy schedules.
“It’s the one meeting that we all actually look forward to going to and don’t dread sitting around talking about how to raise money. It’s actually fun,” said Vanessa Morin, third-year secondary education major.
“I really wanted to take advantage of the leadership possibilities,” said Robbie Finch, a fifth-year music education major. “There’s a lot of great students in our organization, and it was something I wanted to be a part of to better myself.”
For the silent auction, everyone on the officers’ board was in charge of searching for auction. Items ranged from a Margaritas VIP dinner gift certificate to muffin mixes and maple candy. The highlight of the auction was the signed “vintage” UMaine hockey jersey that Jimmy Howard signed last year before his departure. It sold for $96.
“We actually had someone come in after we had ended the auction who wanted to bid on [the jersey], but since we had already announced the end of the auction, it wouldn’t have been fair to let them bid, since they obviously would have won,” said Ashley Adams, a second-year ASB member.
ASB members said they weren’t expecting a big turnout for this fundraiser, but found that it was a surprising success. This first silent auction was planned in order to get a head start on funds and to space it out from the silent auction held in the spring.
Members consider any fundraiser that makes over $100 a success. This silent auction pulled in over $500.
“I would definitely consider the auction a success,” said Adams. “I’d say there was a pretty good turnout, and I think the next one will pull in even more people.”
The winning bidders will be contacted via e-mail, and they will be able to pick up their items at the Black Bear Volunteers Office.
Bangor Daily News