Dearest List,
It is with tremendous sadness that I announce that any involvement that I h ave with the "Official Cirque Auction" is no more. My original "The Charit y Auction", however, and its meaning, continues. "The Charity Auction" now no longer has any association with "The Cirque du Cyclisme "venue or it's m anagement.
>From it's origins in the back of Dales shop in Greensboro ($1,875) in 2003
to the height of donation's last year ($22,500), The Charity Auction has be
en a great honor for me to hold. 100%
of the donations to all of The Charity Auction's and The Official Cirque Ch arity Auction's have gone to charity; the first year to The Make a Wish Fou ndation and every year since to Operation Smile ( http://www.operationsmile.org<ht tp://www.operationsmile.org/>) . A total of approximately $50,000 has been raised at these Auctions.
I received great joy in the effort.
This decision has been a very easy one for me to make as the change in "man agement" in the last year has brought a change in priority. Not mine, but rather that of the Cirque venue. It has always been my priority to make th e children I aim to help first. It has been with your help, I feel I've be en able to achieve that.
With any hope, the original clandestine and unofficial " The Char ity Auction" will somehow find a way, perhaps even this year, to take advan tage of the generosity of your open hearts to help the needy faces of littl e children.
With utmost sincerity and humility,
John T.Pergolizzi
San Diego, Ca.