I have 4 tickets (2 together for each night) that I received via the lottery but I can't make it to NYC (major disappointment!).

12/28 are sec 110 row 22
NYE are sec WBL320 row BS3 (BS is their designation, not mine ) - not great seats, but at least you're in the building.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with these for a couple of days and here's what I've decided. I volunteer for a charity near Seattle (Eastside Baby Corner) that provides formula, car seats, cribs, clothes, shoes, etc. for children in crisis birth to age 12. It's a great organization, over 20 years old and almost entirely volunteer driven. I've arranged with them to track donations to their web site and so - here's the deal:

Anyone who donates $20.00 to EBC between now and 5pm Friday 12/21 will have a chance for the pair of 12/28 tickets (face value $130.00) and a $30.00 donation will give an opportunity at the pair for NYE (face $150.00)

It's a great deal since you're both helping a wonderful organization with a tax-deductible donation (you'll receive a receipt letter from EBC for tax purposes) and potentially getting tickets for way less than Stubhub and without the risk of fakes.

If you're concerned about whether this is legit, feel free to email me at w_routon@hotmail.com and I will be happy to email you a copy of the packing slip I received with the tickets. You can also check out this article from the Seattle Times last month regarding EBC - EBC article

I'll FedEx the tickets to the lucky people on Saturday, 12/22. I'll also post the winner(s) on this thread (with their permission).

Here are the particulars:

Website is EBC Website (www.babycorner.org).

You're welcome to read about the great work they do, but you'll also need to click on the "Donate Money" button on the right. Click "Donate online now" on the next page and follow the instructions for donating with a credit card. IMPORTANT - you MUST put the word "Phish" in the "Comments or Questions" box on the donation page in order for them to include you in the list of donors eligible for the tickets. Also be sure to fill in the telephone number so I can call to give you the good news and verify your address before sending the tickets.

My hope is to raise more than the cost of the tickets for EBC, but give someone a great deal in the process.

Thanks in advance for your generosity & good luck!
wayderminute

Great thread. Great idea to give back not only to our community, but to the greater good as well.

mockingbird has the same type of auctions so its cool here............ i hope you raise a shit ton...

The author has chosen to remove all text from this comment.

MBF and phish.net make no representation that this is a tax deductible donation.

There would be a reduction in deduction based on the in-kind value of what you are receiving, i.e. the lottery ticket, which is obviously difficult to determine, and is arguably equal to or greater than the donation amount.

Consult your tax preparer, contact OP for details or statutory clarification, or deduct at your own risk.

For the kids

@cucumbermelonhead said:

am I too late for the groveling?????

those 12/28s would Be a wonder gift for my boyFriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and me)

Donate 20$ several times over and get your name in there for multiple chances

Thanks to all for the kind words and generosity! As of 9:00 this morning (PST), over $200 had been donated! The odds are still pretty good if you're thinking about jumping in.

@SicMD - yes, I am donating them free & clear. My only "compensation" is warm fuzzies - which help ease the pain of not sharing a great weekend with all of you at MSG.

In response to a couple of private messages: They receive and fill dozens of "orders" per week from various agencies (e.g. We need clothing and school supplies for a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl who left a domestic violence situation with nothing but the clothes on their backs).

The volunteers are incredible. They stand for hours in an unheated warehouse sorting donations and filling orders. Some of them have been volunteering for 15+ years - like the guy who repairs cribs and the "toy ladies" who give TLC to every donated toy to make sure it is as perfect as they can make it. Another ensures that every order for clothes has a pair of shoes, even if she has to buy them herself due to a shortage of donations in a particular size. Of course, they have to buy things like formula, diapers, and car seats - so every dime helps.

Finally, I believe @BigPimpinNYC is correct in that only someone who receives something for their donation (tickets) would lose the tax deduction, but I'm an engineering nerd, not a CPA, and probably should leave the tax advice to the experts. And thanks, @johnnyd - I should have mentioned that any opinions or representations are mine and have nothing to do with the site, MBF or anyone who generously gives their time to maintain it for our benefit.

Well how about that, you learn something new everyday.

sic... which then gets an oh snap

For

the

kids

bump

from the looks of it he could have sold the tickets for what they were worth and made more money for his charity......