"Fun"draiser

Meet Joel, our hockey player from last year.

Every year we had a banquet at the end of the hockey season. The players have two jerseys - one home and one away. The booster club auctions the away jerseys off at the banquet to raise money for the next year. They choose five players for a live auction and the rest are silent bids.

Last year, Joel was on the live auction. He was the last one to be auctioned off. The previous player went for $1500. When Joel took the stage, I yelled "You have to raise the bar, Joel. Take it off!" So he did.

We have a jersey from every player that has lived at our house, except for one. Joel. His mother and I bid each other up last year, in jest. I let her have it at $700.00. After all, he was with me for one season but with her for all of his life.

The hockey club here doesn't participate in such folly. Too bad. It's all in good fun.

We played the old team last night in our last game of the regular season. They won, and I loudly cheered for them.

Tonight is their banquet. We couldn't be there, but through a friend I am bidding long distance on Joel's jersey again this year.

Again, he is on the live auction, but he told my friend "This year, I'm not stripping!"

I'll let you know what it costs me.