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Local REALTOR® Pumpkin Auction Raises $1,340 for Los Gatos Girl


Image about Local REALTOR®  Pumpkin Auction Raises $1,340 for Los Gatos Girl

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

REALTOR® and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® Los Gatos/Saratoga District raised a total of $1,340 at their annual pumpkin auction. The proceeds from the event will benefit a six-year-old Los Gatos girl.

Members of the district were touched when they learned about Erica Rix's accident involving a jump rope that sliced off her hand last September. Erica and her mother Allison were headed home in their SUV after soccer practice, when the jump rope Erica was dangling out the window got caught on the axle of the family vehicle. A slipknot on the jump rope was wrapped around the little girl's hand and when the rope got entangled in the vehicle's tire, it tightened around her left hand and sliced it off. Thanks to the quick action of passers-by, rapid emergency response and surgery that followed, doctors were able to save Erica's life and re-attach her hand.

The Los Gatos/Saratoga District's Pumpkin Auction has been a longtime tradition. REALTORS® and affiliates bid actively on unique and beautifully decorated pumpkins and fall arrangements at this event. Many of the items are hand-made by the members and include special prizes, like theater/game tickets, dinner for a group of people, overnight stays at hotels and gift certificates to restaurants in the area.

"Our pumpkin auction is an opportunity for our REALTORS® to give back to the community where they live and work. Through the pumpkin auction and other events held by SILVAR and the different districts, we are constantly trying to raise money to help those in need," said Tim Alston, SILVAR's Los Gatos/Saratoga District chair.

Alston said when the district learned of Erica's accident, members agreed that money raised from this year's auction should go toward helping the Los Gatos girl.

The mood was jovial as Alston and Frank Oliver, who served as auctioneer, encouraged members to bid and bid high. "When you look at one of these pumpkins, I encourage you to remember where the money is going and to be generous," Alston told members at the event, which was held Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza in Los Gatos.

The Realtors raised $950 from the auction and $390 in cash donations, bringing a total of $1,340, which will help fund Erica's tutoring and future reconstructive surgeries. 

Donations can also be sent directly to the Erica Rix Fund c/o Jennifer McCall, 16190 Los Gatos Blvd Suite 102 Los Gatos, CA 95032. Make checks payable to: Erica Rix Fund. To make a tax deductible donation, designate the Erica Rix as the recipient, and mail the check to: The Eric Drew Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 1949, Los Gatos, CA 95031-1949.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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