The Southwest Veterans Foundation is currently hosting its fifth annual Online Christmas Auction to raise money for its veterans’ programs.
Programs like providing college scholarships to veterans and their dependents and granting funds to local nonprofits that are assisting veterans with social services through SWVF’s Community Giving program.
“Particularly in the post-Covid world, it’s been a difficult road for nonprofits and a lot of them didn’t make it through the pandemic,” said Col. Tom Sheets, the executive director of SWVF. “The more money we can raise, the more support you can provide to those that are out there supporting veterans.”
Rather than putting its own boots on the ground, SWVF gives money to organizations that are already out there doing a good job so that they can do more of it, Sheets said.
The auction goes on until 7 p.m. Saturday with 63 items available for participants to bid on. Those items range from tickets to attractions around Arizona — like the Phoenix Zoo and OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale — to restaurant gift cards, veteran memorabilia and other trinkets.
So far, the auction has raised almost $3,000, about 37% of its $8,000 goal.
The auction allows participants to get some of their Christmas shopping done from the comfort of their home and give back to veterans and their families at the same time.
One hundred percent of the winning auction bids will go toward supporting veterans’ programs and operations of SWVF and the Southwest Veterans Chamber of Commerce.
If bidding isn’t in the budget, but you still want to participate and give back to SWVF, donations can also be made at the auction website.
“We couldn’t do this without the generosity of our donors,” Sheets said. “And so, the donors that donate gift cards and products and services, they’re the real heroes in this.”
