BY LISA REICOSKY
REPOSITORY LIVING SECTION, May 5, 2008 WRITER
CAPTION: LEADING THE ANGELS, Denise Hill (second from left) and Lisa Warburton-Gregory take a moment to pose with their husbands, Greg Hill (left) and Steve Gregory as the 2008 Angel Auction got under way Friday evening at the Canton Memorial Civic Center, where nearly 500 guests raised $435,000.
CANTON -- Fabulous trips, stunning scenery, and online bidding led to a highly successful year for the 2008 Angel Auction.
The event, sponsored by the Women's Board of Aultman Hospital, drew about 500 guests Friday night to the Memorial Civic Center, where auctioneer Lori Kiko drew top-dollar bids to raise about $435,000.
Chairwomen Denise Hill and Lisa Warburton-Gregory were excited by the early success of online bidding, a first for the Angel Auction.
''It was a big success,'' said Hill, who saw bids coming in from as far away as California, Arizona and Texas. ''We hope it will grow.''
Bidding was heated for some unique auction items.
A trip for five couples to Magnifico Manzanillo, Mexico, sold for $17,000.
The weeklong trip includes a stay at a 10,000-square-foot villa on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean and a personal staff of five, including a chef.
Ralph Regula's last personal tour of the capitol went for $6,000.
''He has been very generous to us over the years,'' said Warburton-Gregory.
She was very surprised that a Jimmy Buffet party for 24 people she donated along with Hill sold for $5,500.
''I thought, 'Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!' '' she said. ''That was pretty cool.''
A trip to the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Va., sold for $12,000. This item included a meeting with the master distiller, who will lead a tour through the barrelhouse, where the winner will taste test and select a favorite to be bottled into 240 personalized decanters.
And 12 lucky people will get tickets to the first game in the third round of the Cavaliers' playoff journey, should they make it that far. That package sold for $4,500.
The evening also featured a silent auction, dinner, a fine wine bar, Tiki bar, and souvenir portraits by Terry Horner.
Paul Bishop and John Werren served as emcees.
Dean Ross of Event Lighting created a paradise inside both the McKinley Room and auditorium, using a Caribbean cruise-ship backdrop on the stage, tropical plants and trees, sand, and big screen televisions showing ocean waves splashing up on shore.
''We gave him our vision and he created it,'' said Warburton-Gregory.
Proceeds from this event will go toward the Women's Board's pledge of $3 million for the Center for Compassionate Care. This facility will provide hospice care, and serve as a resource to promote healing for those experiencing grief, life-threatening illness, or the loss of a loved one.
