Hello Friends of the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction,

Thanks to your wonderful support, the 2005 quilt auction was a great success. Seven hundred and twenty quilts were sold. The auction raised $150,496 for Sutter Medical Center Foundation's breast cancer research and patient treatment programs. Since the first auction in 1999, the quilt auction project has raised more than $300,000 for the Foundation. More important, however, than the financial success is the loving support your generosity has provided to breast cancer patients, their families and caregivers. Thank you.

We are very excited to announce the date of the 2008 quilt auction- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2008.

While that seems a long time from now, there is a lot of planning and behind the scenes work to be done before then. Friends, it is time to get to work. An auction kick-off meeting will be on Thursday, April 19th at 3:00 to 5:00 pm in Classroom 1 on the first floor of the Sutter Cancer Center. The Center is located at 2800 L Street, Sacramento.

There is no specific organization at the core of the quilt auction project. We are simply a group of individuals who have come together to make the auction happen. Quite frankly, we need your help. You don't need to be a member of a quilt guild, or even a quilt maker. If you are interested in helping on the 2008 auction, please come to the meeting on April 19th and bring a friend or two, or your entire quilting circle. We need volunteers to help with publicity, community outreach, quilt collection and storage, inventory, quilt display, live auction, silent auction, on-line auction and lots of other activities, big and small. We also need an enthusiastic, motivated person (or persons) to chair the event.

This year we are also seeking corporate sponsors to defray some of the Foundation's administrative costs. While all of the auction proceeds go directly to research and patient treatment programs, the Foundation's operating budget has covered the auction's printing, security and equipment costs. If the auction were to obtain corporate sponsorships, the Foundation could redirect these auction costs to other fundraising activities. Corporate sponsorship could also be used to expand our publicity and advertising activities. If you have suggestions for potential sponsors, please let us know.

Again, thank you for your support of the 2005 auction. It is time to begin working toward the 2008 auction and we need your help. Please join us on April 19. Bring your friends, enthusiasm and commitment to make the 2008 auction fun and successful.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail quiltauction@comcast.net or call Alice Smith (916-683-1347) or Sharie Schroepfer (916-392-1825)