_ How? Give a gift that gives TWICE. Go to Bid4Boquete's Auction Gallery, and browse the more than $51,000 of goods, services, travel offers, dinners, and just great stuff. Buy it NOW as a Christmas gift. Just click on the link and it's yours, NOW—to keep or to give as a gift to a special person. Where does the twice part come in? The price you pay for the gift is donated to charities in the Boquete area. Your purchase will help a needy family have food for the month; or help a child to learn to read; or purchase books for the new Boquete library; or sterilize stray dogs and cats; or provide a handicapped person with a needed service. The Bid 4 Boquete charity extravaganza will happen February 11 & 12. There is a Wine Tasting and Live Auction. There is a Silent Auction. There is an Art Show. There is a Patio Sale, a Plant Sale, Children's Games, a Food Court...and so much more. Events will be held in either the Boquete Feria or the BCP Event Center. Our goal this year is to raise over $76,000—and increase of $25,000 over last year's very successful event. And we know we will succeed, with your help. Please donate to the event—cash, goods, services, white elephants, dinners. No offering is too small or too odd. Participate in the fundraising by purchasing something—many of the things on the list are things or services you would buy anyway. Get them from us and benefit TWICE. Visit the website. It is easy to donate, easy to purchase. Please check out the list of corporate sponsors and give them your business where possible. Let them know that you, too, are a Bid 4 Boquete supporter. And...Thank You. Your generosity is what makes this charitable effort a success, year after year.

               Bid 4 Boquete Gets Underway

Bid 4 Boquete, where generous hearts meet helping hands, is once again organizing for its annual fundraiser. The next Bid 4 Boquete Extravaganza will be held February 11 and 12, 2012 and the theme, in keeping with Valentine’s Day, is
“Yo ♥ Boquete.”

Last year’s event raised over $58,000! Donations of gifts, services and cash came from 398 different contributors. The 2 day spectacular drew crowds of visitors from Panama City, David and throughout Chiriqui, with thousands of people participating in the fun-filled activities. All proceeds were distributed to the following charities: Amigos de Animales de Boquete (spay and neuter clinic for animals), Buenos Vecinos de Boquete (food outreach to elderly and handicapped persons), Club Leones de Boquete (which is a leading force in building the new library in Boquete) and Fundacion Pro-Integracion handicap Center (providing services for the area’s handicapped).

Yo ♥ Boquete 2012 promises to be even more successful. Event coordinators, Las Tres Mujeres, are Penny Barrett, Bonnie Williams and Nevia Mayers. Committee members have already met several times and have set this year’s goal at $70,000. The list of charities who will benefit has also grown.

Plans for an art show, a wine tasting, Silent Auction, Live Auction, a patio sale, garden and plant sale, raffle, food court, live music, book sale, bake sale, and children’s activities are all well underway. There will be something for everyone, young and old. Mark your calendars now—it’s not too early!

Donations are coming in daily—check out our AUCTION ITEMS PAGE  to see what has already been catalogued. To view the Auction Gallery, you can go to https://picasaweb.google.com/113124356077264589665/AuctionGallery2012.

Please note: You may bid on items beginning NOW—or purchase outright for full value. There are deep sea fishing trips, exotic resort and hotel packages, original art works, Spanish classes, gift certificates for gourmet dinners, health and beauty products, organic produce and much, more more!

We are asking businesses and individuals throughout Panama to pledge their support and help make Yo ♥ Boquete 2012 a rousing success. It is a great way to advertise your business or service, and make a charitable contribution at the same time. At the moment, over 40 contributors have donated items valued at more than $14,000—but this is just the start.

Do you have a business? Sell a product? Provide a service? Have an overflow of stuff in your closet or garage? No item or service is too large or too small for Bid 4 Boquete. To donate an item or service, go to our DONATE page or write to Bid 4 Boquete or contact Penny Barrett.  Contact Alicia McGuigan to arrange for pick up of large items.

On Tuesday, January 18, 2010, Bid 4 Boquete's Martine Heyer presented our four beneficiaries with the proceeds from our 2010 Auction.  Each beneficiary received $12,500.

An ambitious goal was set for the 4th annual Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction, held December 4 at the Boquete Community Players Theater & Events Center and December 5th at La Feria de Boquete.    But Boquete is known for setting ambitious goals, and this one was met in spades!

Event photos can be seen by going to the Photo Albums.

The Saturday wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres pre-auction party, was attended by 120 people who enjoyed mixing and mingling with fellow ExPats, Panamanians and some out of town visitors, including El Visitante Editor Jacob Ehrler and the Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money magazine Senior Editor Missy Sullivan. A remote broadcast of the auction items was cabled into the lobby lounge and Hexagon Room of the BCP Events Center to handle the overflow crowd.   Live music was provided by Rich Cacianti at the keyboard and vocals by Yella Werder.

Following the wine tasting, attendees took seats in the theater where the four benefiting charities were introduced by the evening’s host, Mark Heyer.   The charities are Amigos de  Animales de Boquete (which conducts spay/neuter clinics that have reduced the street animal population by over 3,000), Buenos Vecinos de Boquete (which feeds over 80 elderly and handicapped people every month), Club Leones de Boquete (which focuses on education and is the driving force behind the new three-story library soon to open on the main street of Boquete) and Fundacion Pro-Integracion Handicap Center (which provides a place for socializing  for the area’s handicapped individuals and contributes financially to their health, education and well-being). 

Next, corporate sponsors were introduced and presented with plaques of appreciation by publicity manager, Penny Ripple.   The major  corporate supporter was Banco General through their Fundacion de Buenos Vecinos charity division.    Other corporate sponsors included Bistro Boquete/Felipe Motta (the wine tasting sponsor), Boquete Quality Properties, Casa Solution, Chiriqui Storage, Financial Pacific, and Prestige Custom Builders.

The bidding began with a gourmet dinner for four served al fresco and donated by one of the area’s best chefs, Amelia Stroup.   A highlight of the evening was the bidding on a pound of Price and Susan Peterson’s famous Hacienda Esmeralda Geisha Coffee (which won both the Best of Panama and the Rainforest Alliance competitions this year). The coffee sold at the Bid 4 Boquete auction for a new world record of $360 per pound.  Other items included a trip on Air Panama for two to the Contadora Island Inn, deep sea fishing and sailboat trips, artwork and several other travel awards.   A total of 27 items were auctioned, raising almost $10,000.

Saturday night’s events were followed on Sunday afternoon by a series of sales venues held in the Boquete fairgrounds and open to the entire community free of charge. The event’s big money maker was a silent auction of over 300 hundred items, ranging from gift certificates for hotels and restaurants throughout Panama to professional services, household and personal items. Featured were children’s activities, a patio sale of donated items, book sales, plant sales, and a sale of baked goods. Sales were brisk throughout the afternoon.

A full bar was offered with beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages donated by Luchini Lescure of La Cabaña Bar and Boquete Properties. In addition to an on-site grill offering hamburgers and hot dogs perfectly grilled by Bert Sawyers, other food offerings included full combination tipico plates, sandwiches, chili, appetizers, and a banana ice cream dessert. Tables and chairs were arranged throughout the space, providing areas for friends and neighbors to mingle, eat, drink, and spread pre-holiday cheer.

Hundreds of children, sporting bright faces adorned by Mona Lisa Portelance and her face-painting team, brightened the space. Santa Claus, perched onstage and overlooking the crowd, patiently listened to the Christmas wishes of children not otherwise occupied with the many children’s games.  Also featured was a popular cake walk and photographs.

A highlight of the day was the lottery drawing for a gourmet holiday basket of holiday treats prepared by Emma’s Sin City catering.

The two-day event was organized by co-chairs Penny Barrett, Martine Heyer, and Bonnie Williams, ably assisted by 27 committee chairs and over one hundred volunteers.

In the past four years, Bid 4 Boquete has raised a total of $42,000 for charity.   This year’s goal was to top this figure in this year alone….and they did!   Almost $55,000 was raised, and will be evenly divided among the four charities.   Good work, Boquete!