St. Matthew’s Online Treasures Auction

Art, books, fashion, food, travel

By Margret B. Nankivell

The online auction is back for a second year at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church. Like last year’s fun and successful event, it will feature art, travel, home cooking and more. The site opened for bidding on Friday, November 12 and runs until 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 20.

The selection of items on offer is extraordinary and (as is usual for St. Matt’s auctions!) eclectic. More than 300 items are listed, including some lovely works of art such as paintings and exotic sculptures, antique and intriguing books, and travel certificates for resorts in Antigua, Bermuda, the Grenadines and Panama. New this year will be the use of a large Quebec cottage for a week in 2022.

Last year’s offerings of Christmas baked goods and delivered meals were so popular that they will be featured again. And fashion is a new category so there are opportunities to bid on chic gifts, including quite a range of designer purses.

The auction’s major sponsors last year have renewed their support: McKeen Metro Glebe, Tracy Arnett Realty Ltd. and Capital Home Hardware. They are joined this year by Amica The Glebe, which is opening a “seniors’ lifestyles” building in the Glebe next spring. These sponsorships will cover most of the event costs, such as the auction website and software, graphic design and promotion.

This year’s outreach partner is the FACES refugee group representing First Avenue churches and community members. The group, which has sponsored and supported families from the Middle East and Africa, is in the process of arranging a sponsorship for another family. More than 20 per cent of the auction’s net profits will go to help FACES raise the money needed for this initiative.

Registration for the auction can be reached through St. Matthew’s website (stmatthewsottawa.ca) or charityauction.bid/StMatthews2021Auction.

Margret B. Nankivell is a long-time St. Matthew’s parishioner and regular contributor to the Glebe Report.