Auction and Holiday Sale Fundraiser for Inman Park Cooperative Preschool

by Kristen Moore

INMAN PARK — Looking for a way to keep your holiday shopping local and benefit a good cause? Join Atlanta families on Sunday, December 8th at the 29th Annual Inman Park Auction and Holiday Sale, presented by Century Craft Homes. The auction benefits the Inman Park Cooperative Preschool — one of Atlanta’s oldest cooperatives and the only one focused on a nature-based curriculum and creative play.

As in previous years, the event itself is free, but attendees will have the opportunity to bid on fantastic items including:

• A weekend “staycation” with spa treatment at the St. Regis
• A 3-course in-home chef demo by Chef Mike Blydenstein of The Pinewood
• A week at gorgeous vacation homes in Black Mountain, NC, Keystone, CO & Rosemary Beach, FL
• A week at a resort in St. Maarten, The Caribbean
• A year of free kids’ meals from Chick-Fil-A
• Private tour of the Carter Center by James Carter & book signed by Jimmy Carter
• Thousands of dollars in gift certificates to local retailers and restaurants – Parish, Nandina Home and Design, Sun in My belly, Maddio's Pizza, Cakes and Ale
• Memberships and adventures – High Museum, Tree Climbing, Atlanta Botanical Garden, etc.
• Wine tastings for you & your closest friends at Savi, Savor & The Park Tavern
• Photography sessions
• Entertainment – Center for Puppetry Arts, Dad's Garage, Variety Playhouse, etc.
• Artwork
• And more!

At this highly anticipated community event, you can get your holiday shopping done early while contributing to the Inman Park Cooperative Preschool’s goal of creating an educational experience focused on environmentalism, creativity and diversity through an atmosphere of respect, collaboration and cooperation.  

Each year we hold our holiday auction to bring families and the local community together for a fun-filled evening and to raise money to support IPCP.

As a cooperative preschool, we all work together to make sure we can offer the best early learning experience for our kids.

The annual live and silent auction will take place Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013 from 3pm to 7pm at the Trolley Barn in Inman Park, 963 Edgewood Avenue NE. Entry to the event is FREE and open to the public; adults only, please. Experience Mobile Bidding on your smartphone or provided laptops while enjoying live Brazilian music by local band Os-Ossos. Cash, check and credit cards accepted. For more details, visit www.ipcp.org/auction or call 404.274.3844.

Proceeds from the auction will be directed toward supporting ICPC’s ongoing efforts to provide a healthy and sustainable learning environment that focuses on nature-based education. With an award-winning Outdoor Classroom and Garden and a Director of Education passionate about early childhood education and the environment, IPCP incorporates daily nature explorations into the curriculum, with the goal of sparking lifelong stewardship of the Earth.

“Today many people are realizing the significant educational benefits that outdoor experiences and nature can bring our little ones. Whether it’s sorting leaves for composting, planting vegetables in our edible garden or learning to care for our chickens and hamsters, our kids are immersed in nature and play that help support their enduring love of learning,” says Lani Douglas, Interim Director at IPCP.

“The money raised from our Annual Holiday Auction is essential in providing teachers and students with the tools needed to embrace nature-based learning and has provided support previously for a fence to allow our chickens to be “free range” and closer to students, a revamped curriculum with the help of Zoo Atlanta and Farmer D Organics, and an energy-efficient HVAC system.”

For more information about the auction — and IPCP — call 404.827.9796 or visit www.ipcp.org/auction. The 29th Annual Inman Park Auction is sponsored in part by Century Craft Homes.

Ms. Moore is chairwoman of the Inman Park Cooperative Preschool Board.