Philly Give & Get Highlights Makers and Raises $7,300+ for Scribe Video Center

Lansie Sylvia and Adam Teterus took a break from hosting duties to pose in the photo booth.

So a baker, a butcher, and a brewer walk into a bar…

No, it’s not the beginning of a bad joke, but actually the premise for the second Philly Give & Get — a fundraising event that turned the spotlight on the wide-variety of creators and makers in the city last Thursday.

By auctioning off local talent, ticket sales, and raffle tickets the event netted $7346.99 dollars for Scribe Video Center.

“One of the objectives for our team is to highlight exemplary organizations and communities that are making Philadelphia an amazing place to live, work, and create. Makers help run this town, and they are a driving force behind the revitalization of spaces, neighborhoods, and businesses in Philly,” Give & Get founder Lansie Sylvia said.

“Our Maker community is epic… look at places like NextFab Studio, the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, the Hacktory, and Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. The next renaissance in this city will be Maker-born, hewn, and built.”

Taking on a life of its own

Nearly every one of the makers joined in a collaborative effort to raise more money during the event by adding additional items to their auction lot as the event happened. For instance, David Clayton added two tickets to the upcoming sold-out Ignite Philly.

“We knew it was a strategy that worked during our last auction, but the Maker Experts really pulled out all the stops at this one,” said Sylvia. “I was delighted, inspired, and so grateful! Over and over again, Philadelphians show themselves to be generous people with incredible talents. I’m  just happy we were able to give them a platform and a stage to showcase that.”

In addition, groups of bidders also worked together in order to win auction lots, with Robert M Epler, Jessica Vidor, Madeleine Boyer collaboratively winning the brewers auction.

“I think that’s a great strategy. Bringing people together to connect in new and meaningful ways is a pillar of the Give & Get experience,” Sylvia said. “If the way people engage with one another is to join up and win the bid for an amazing Auction Lot, we’re all for it.”

Tim Wisniewski, Jennifer Hensell, and Todd Von Deak, winners of the MVP and MCP awards

There was even collaboration to win the “Most Charitable Philadelphian Award” (the attendee who donates the most) and the “Most Valuable Philadelphian Award” (the auction that raises the most money) as Parker Whitney, Nick Eubanks, Dave Gloss, and Jennifer Hensell all donated more at the end of the event for the Mover/Shaker Auction lot comprised of Todd von Deak and Tim Wisniewski.

Through the idea of collaborating during the auction, cheap event tickets, and a raffle, Philly Give & Get demonstrated you don’t have to have a lot of money to be a philanthropist.

“We believe that anyone who donates money to a charitable cause is a philanthropist, and that donations of all shapes and sizes should be celebrated. Attendees who cannot afford the cost of the winning bids can split the cost with a friend, purchase a ticket to the event, or buy raffle tickets,” Sylvia said.

“All of those options benefit our Charity Partner, and they’re all equally important to promoting the next generation of philanthropy in Philadelphia. We encourage attendees to just show up, have a great time, and support a great cause.”

Full disclosure: Generocity.org is a media partner and fiscal sponsor of Philly Give & Get: MAKER Edition.