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A quacking good time had by all

November 22, 2006

DuckAuction.thumb.JPGTotal fundraising for UNE's annual Celebration of Sharing has now topped $8,000, following fierce bidding at the “Bucks for Ducks” charity auction held today in the Central Courtyard at UNE.

The figure easily eclipses the previous record for Celebration of Sharing: $6,527.

The money – raised by the auction, a sausage sizzle, duck sales, and generous donations – will go to St Vincent De Paul and Street Beat, a charity that helps street kids get off the streets and back into school.

Under the capable hammer of auctioneer J.G.A Kauter, the ducks offered for auction realised some sizeable amounts. (The photograph displayed here shows the auction in progress.) Ms Sasha Mahboub won the prize in the associated Lucky Duck Draw: a scenic helicopter flight over Armidale, donated by Fleet Helicopters.

Celebration of Sharing, an initiative of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor at UNE, is organised by the University’s Marketing and Public Affairs Directorate. Event coordinator Kerry De Jong said she was delighted with the response to this year's event. "It was a huge success, and we're so pleased to be able to hand this money over to two worthy charities,” Ms De Jong said. “We just want to thank everyone who supported the event by buying ducks and coming to the barbecue. We're also very grateful to our sponsors, who have done so much to make this event a success."

An observer of - and participant in - today's activities said she thought it was "a great way of involving the whole university community in a worthwhile event".

Celebration of Sharing is proudly supported by the NSW Premier's Department, West End Wholesalers, Fleet Helicopters, and UNE staff and students.

Posted by Leon Braun at November 22, 2006 04:32 PM