Falls Church, Va. — The U.S. Apple Association’s NextGen fellows today kicked off a silent auction to benefit USApple’s school nutrition grant program, Apples4Ed. The silent auction, open to everyone, is at: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/usappleauction/items/ or via the Givi app on mobile devices (you must first register on the auction site). The auction runs through August 18, with 100% of the proceeds going to Apples4Ed school grants.
There are a variety of everyday and unique items and experiences to bid on in every price range, from golf ball bundles to coolers, from fishing trips to sporting events. Some of the highlights include:
- Buffalo Bills vs Green Bay Packers premier seats near 50-yard line
- Alaska fishing charter for four people
- Strategic branding and marketing full-day workshop for businesses
- Private tour of Gettysburg National Park for six people followed by dinner at a local restaurant/cidery/winery
- National Parks bundle, including an annual pass to all the parks, a North Face backpack, and additional necessities for a year of outdoor adventure
- Apple Watch Series 7
Other items include: a 2022 World Cup bundle; American flags that were flown over the U.S. Capitol at the requests of Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Dan Newhouse; Yeti and KONG coolers; separate boxes of Vidalia onions, cherries, applesauce, or a year’s worth of juice; a hard-to-find rare bourbon bundle; and Washington and Oregon wines, among many other items.
The 2022 NextGen fellows created the Apples4Ed auction as one of their service projects to help provide supplemental student nutrition and expose students to a wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as teach students about healthy eating. Each year, USApple awards schools across the nation with grants to provide healthy foods for students, but school requests have increasingly far outweighed funding. The lasting impact of COVID has left many students more reliant on school-provided meals.
“All of the schools USApple awarded in 2022 with Apples4Ed grants were in communities where many of the families live below the poverty line,” said USApple Vice President of Communications Tracy Grondine. “The NextGen silent auction will provide much needed funding for additional grants to help get students through the school day with healthy snacks, while also reinforcing a positive relationship with nutritious foods.
“USApple and the NextGen fellows appreciate the many companies that donated items and unique experiences to the silent auction,” continued Grondine. “Without their generosity and support for Apples4Ed and the NextGen Fellowship, this auction would not be possible.”
The following companies donated items/experiences: A&M Farms, AgriMACS, Alaska Fishing Fever, CMI Orchards, Fielding Hills Winery, Hess Brothers Fruit, Holmes Mouthwatering, Hudson River Fruit, Kwik Lok, Mekanic, Michigan Pomesters, Midwest Apple Improvement Association, Old Orchard Brands, Rice Fruit Company, Sage Fruit, Sev-Rend, Stemilt, Sun Valley Shooting Park, Syngenta, Watermill Winery and Yes! Apples.
The NextGen Fellowship is an annual program for emerging leaders in the apple industry. This year six fellows were chosen to take part in the fellowship, which focuses on career development, one-on-one mentoring, hands-on advocacy, community service and team building. The 2022 NextGen fellows include: Marcus Albinder, Hudson River Fruit; John Cary, Stemilt; Tim Cote, AgriMACS; Ethan Holmes, Holmes Mouthwatering; Syrah Linsley, Old Orchard Brands; and James Nyssen, Sev-Rend.
Bid at: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/usappleauction/items/ or on the Givi app. Learn more about Apples4Ed at apples4ed.com; learn more about the NextGen program at usapple.org/nextgen-apple-fellowship.
