The 37th Annual Neil Kelly Memorial Auction & Dinner at St. Andrew (11/6/10)

Brett and I have heard lots of great things about this community, so even though we knew nothing about the event we decided to head over there with our friends Matthew and Windy. 

Cost: $20, plus whatever you spend on auction items

What you get:
Large selection of quite tasty meats and cheeses for appetizers (well above and beyond supermarket cubed cheddar); all-you-care-to-drink beverages including beer and wine (a strategic decision, given that the auction follows dinner); Mexican food prepared by St. Andrew's Spanish-speaking community; and wide variety of desserts contributed by many parishioners. 

Vegetarian options:
Everything but a few of the appetizers and the main entree (chicken mole) was vegetarian.  For the veg heads they had handmade tamales.  DELICIOUS!  The vegetarians are the winners at this dinner - my meat eating friends were not head-over-heels about the mole.  They gave me 5 or 6 tamales - enough fill myself, share a couple with the table and take two home for later. The addition of salsa and cheese would have made this meal food cart-worthy.

Activities:
The door attendant took our credit card information and gave us an auction number.  For the entire night we just needed to give our number to purchase any item and it all got charged in one (tax deductable) charge at the end of the night.  Opportunities to spend included:
- Silent auction for things like a large wine fridge, storm door installation and a quite nice outdoor grill
- 50/50 and vacation raffles
- Sign up for future activities to be hosted by parishioners like "learn to knit," "bike ride in the Columbia Gorge," and "Games & Pie Night" for anywhere from $10 - $100 each.
- Live auction that included lots of vacation rentals and dinners. 

The vibe:
This parish is known for having a somewhat "hippy" vibe, but I didn't get that feel from this evening.  It was extremely well run and everyone I met was very welcoming and with it.  The decor of white lights, tulle and branches dressed up the place a little, but it was still a church hall.  I was impressed that the auction items were mostly things I would like to buy into and toward the end of the evening started to become affordable - Matthew, Windy, Brett and I were happy to score a week-long stay at a cabin near Mt. St. Helens for $500 toward the end of the auction when everyone else was starting to feel broke.

Reasons to go again:
- The live auction was by far the coolest part of the night.  They hired a professional auctioneer and she was amazing to watch. 
- The feeling of being part of something successful and energetic.
- The tamales.

Things we hope they change next year:
- The food was good, but desperately needed salsa and cheese. 

Overall value: 9/10 tamales for great energy, great auction items, decent food, and inclusion of beer and wine in the admission price.