LFCS Raises $266,000 at Auction
Annual Helping Hands Auction included more than 600 items

09/01/05

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 01, 2005 - Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri raised $266,000 to support its adoption, counseling and other services at its 23rd Annual Helping Hands Auction.

Attended by nearly 500 LFCS friends and staff, this year's auction was held on Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Hyatt Regency at St. Louis Union Station.

"Our auction council did an exceptional job this year under the leadership of chairs Jim and Vicki Dankenbring," said Rev. Alan M. Erdman, president of LFCS. "We are extremely grateful for our friends and supporters. Without them, we would not be able to offer such a variety and depth of services to Missouri families."

This year's theme was "The Story of the Starfish," which tells of a young man determinedly throwing beached starfish back into the ocean. Although he cannot save them all, he asserts he can make a difference to at least one. Similarly, LFCS' goal is to make a difference in the lives of families one person at a time.

The evening included dinner, entertainment and more than 600 silent and oral auction items ranging from gift certificates and baskets to vacations. Some of the more popular items included a trip to the Indy 500 with airfare from Southwest Airlines and a limo to and from the airport; being chef for a day at Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood; golf at the famous Winged Foot Golf Club in New York; a trip to the Cayman Islands; a private black-tie dinner for 10 of the bidder's friends; and a Coca-Cola machine. Amber Etheridge, Miss Missouri 2003, also modeled furs and jewelry during the live auction.

Sponsors for the 2005 Helping Hands Auction included Earl and Sandy Lindenberg as dinner underwriters and Hamilton Jewelers, Rolex, Ron and Sherry Smith, Budrovich Excavating and Anheuser-Busch as bar sponsors. In addition to the Dankenbrings, the auction council included Cindy and Kirk Verseman and Kati and David Connell. For 2006, the Dankenbrings are handing over the torch as auction chairs to the Connells and Carl and Sheree Fruend.

Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri is a non-profit, statewide social service organization providing counseling, adoption, crisis pregnancy assistance, day care and mentoring services to the community. With offices in St. Louis, Columbia, Cape Girardeau and Springfield, LFCS touches the lives of more than 22,000 individuals annually. The services provided by LFCS are open to everyone regardless of race, faith, national origin, gender or age. Although Lutheran based, more than 80 percent of families served are non-Lutheran. For more information, visit www.lfcsmo.org.

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Editor's note: Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri is located at: 8631 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. (63124) 401 West Boulevard North, Suite B, Columbia, Mo. (65203) 2911 Breckenridge, Cape Girardeau, Mo. (63701) 1400 S. Kimbrough, Springfield, Mo. (65807)

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Yolanda Rodgers, Public Relations/Marketing Coordinator
314-754-2783 (direct office contact)
314-606-5787 (cellular contact)