A bidding war raged in Old Union Hall as students sought to lay claim to prizes for charity.
Binghamton University’s PricewaterhouseCoopers Scholars program raised $1,600 at their paddle auction on Thursday night. Roughly 180 people attended the auction at the Old Union Hall, which was held to raise money for the Walnut Street Park.
The scholars plan to use the proceeds to convert an unused lot at Walnut Street into a garden and play area, which will create a safe area for local children to be active, and establish a community gathering place for more than 700 neighborhood families.
“It will give the kids an opportunity to not just play on an empty corner, but to spend time with their friends and stay there for a while,” Dan Malinovsky, a PwC scholar who was in charge of logistics for the auction.
For the paddle auction, attendees could purchase a $5 ticket prior to the event or $7 at the door. They received a paddle with a number and several raffle tickets upon entering the room.
The prizes included tickets to New York Yankees games and Broadway shows, Vera Bradley bags, gift cards to Panera, Walmart, Brewed Awakenings, Mario’s Pizza and more. The more raffle tickets entered, the better the chance at winning the prize.
“I want to win pearls for my mom,” said Richard Choi, a junior majoring in management.
Students in the scholars program contacted various local companies, restaurants, hotels and stores to acquire donations for the raffle prizes.
“I got gift cards to CVS, Panera and Burger King, and a gift certificate to the Holiday Inn for a free stay and complimentary breakfast,” said Jen Hertz, junior majoring in accounting.
Each year the PwC scholars partake in a community service project and this year’s is the Walnut Street Park. Previous projects have included the MacArthur Elementary School Book Mobile, Ross Park Zoo Native Animal Exhibit and the Children’s Garden at Discovery Center.
The auction also featured entertainment from the Binghamton Crosbys and students performing stand-up comedy.