Friends of the Arboretum
The silent auction table holds a variety of useful and exclusive items awaiting bids by attendees.
Silent Auction
A silent auction fundraiser is part of the evening's events at the Leopold Restoration Awards ceremony and dinner.
The Friends of the Arboretum welcomes donations of goods and services. Funds raised will support Arboretum activities and projects.
Popular silent auction items include original artwork and photography, natural history books and field guides, outdoor gear, specialty foods including wine, gardening tools and supplies, gift certificates to restaurants and shops, and outdoor themed items.
The auction is an excellent opportunity for donors to be visible at our program, as we will display your donated items with literature you provide about your organization.
Individuals or businesses interested in donating items to the auction are asked to contact Leopold Awards Program Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu or (608) 263-7760 to determine if the item is a suitable match.
At the last event, the following items were available for bidding:
- Orchid Photograph, matted and framed. Donor: John Bishop
- L'Etoile Cooking Class Certificate, includes three-course meal with wine, instruction and recipes. Donor: L'Etoile
- Goose Talk photo collage, includes framing gift certificate. Donors: Juliet Rake, Steve Walsten, and Meuer Art & Picture Frame
- Use of luxury suite at Kohl Center with 14 tickets, pizza party, soda and cookies for a UW-Madison women's hockey or basketball game. Donor: Michael Best and Friedrich
- Gourmet Gift Basket. Donor: Winestyles
- Fall Tapestry, original painting matted and framed. Donors: Kathleen Parr McKenna and Gary's Frame Shop
- American Redstart, original colored pencil framed and matted. Donor: Jim Miller
- Downtown Adventure Package, including 2 tickets to the Overture Center for the Arts and gift certificates for several dining options. Donors: Overture Center for the Arts, The Old Fashioned, and Harvest
- Columbine Star On original framed acrylic painting. Donor: Randell Otis
We also welcome individuals, corporations, and institutions as program sponsors. Learn more about becoming a program sponsor.