A black tie affair at Dock Street Diner, lunch with Larry David, and continued services for Islanders were all dreams made possible at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Possible Dreams fundraiser on Sunday.
The 46th annual iteration of the event raised more than $500,000 for Community Services to help fund programs and services accessed by one in four Islanders, ranging from mental health and addiction support to childcare. This year’s event came amid the organization’s ongoing capital campaign to raise $17.5 million to rebuild the Community Services campus from the ground up.
Community Services CEO Beth Folcarelli addressed the crowd at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort Sunday to thank them for their support. She said $7.7 million has been raised so far, and the new early childhood center was dedicated last month. The Community Services board is set to approve a three-year plan to expand its staff and breadth of services at the end of the month.
Martha's Vineyard Community Services CEO Beth Folcarelli. — Ray Ewing
“So much has been accomplished in our organization over recent months,” she said. “We’ve been hard at work focusing on the quality of our services and on the excellence of our workforce.”
Comedian, late-night talk show host and Vineyard seasonal resident Seth Meyers took the stage once again as emcee at the event, joined by longtime Community Services auctioneer Sherry Truhlar.
“This is the hottest ticket in town. And by that, I mean you’ve never bought a ticket for something you’ll be hotter at,” Mr. Meyers joked.
Bidders vied for items in an online silent auction leading up to Sunday night’s event. Ten big-ticket items were auctioned off live. Many of the offerings had a distinct Vineyard flavor: a painting by local artist Traeger di Pietro, a Jaws-themed Island tour, a private soiree at the Ritz with Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish.
Ms. Truhlar moved at warp speed, but she took her time coaxing bidders to raise their paddles.
“We’re here to make a difference … we’re here to overpay for things we don’t need,” she quipped.
Mr. Meyers wasn’t just the emcee on Sunday — he was also a donor and a prize. For $30,000, an Aquinnah woman won the honor of dining with Mr. Meyers, his family and a slate of celebs at his Island home, including actress Meg Ryan and Community Services board member and Sleepless in Seattle producer Gary Foster.
Auctioneer Sherry Truhlar takes bids Sunday. — Ray Ewing
Also on offer was a set of four front-row tickets to a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers, packaged with four tickets to Mr. Meyers’ residency with fellow comedian John Oliver. When two families got embroiled in a bidding war over the package, he doubled the prize, offering it to both of them to the tune of $16,000 each. He also pledged a personal donation of $4,600 in honor of the auction’s 46th year.
With five years of Possible Dreams behind him, Mr. Meyers was feeling the weight of the occasion.
“There’s a real vibrant community here, and MVCS — more than anybody — understands the services people on this Island need to thrive,” he said in an interview with the Gazette. “It’s nice to be able to give a little something back to an Island that gives me so much.”
Mr. Meyers also told the Gazette that if he were to bid on something himself, he would have settled on the “Fenway two ways” experience — two sets of four blank tickets, one redeemable for any baseball game and the other redeemable for any concert.
Bidder and longtime Community Services supporter Beth Edwards-Harris took home both a Late Night ticket package and the coveted Fenway bundle. Her family strategized intently between bids, her son-in-law raising her paddle on her behalf.
Ms. Edwards-Harris has been coming to the Vineyard since 1996 and has two adult children who live on the Island. Though she was happy to walk away with a bounty, she said her main reward was supporting an organization that means a lot to her.
“People should be able to have services where they live, and the Island is a place like that,” she said.
Bob Tankard accepts the Art Buchwald Award. — Ray Ewing
Following the auction, Community Services honored veteran, educator and Island activist Bob Tankard with the Art Buchwald Award for Outstanding Community Service. Mr. Tankard shed a few tears as he accepted his prize and posed for photos.
Leaders with Community Services were pleased that so many people showed up in support of the cause, especially amid the demands of the capital campaign.
Lauren Averill served on this year’s Possible Dreams committee and is a Community Services board member. She put together several of this year’s prize packages and coordinated live music from the regional high school jazz band.
For her, Community Services has been a lifeline, and she’s grateful to give back.
“I have used just about every single program that they have,” she said. “I don’t know where I would be without [them].”
More pictures.
