In a completely unexpected and rather startling turn of events at last night’s Celebrity Cookie Auction, this Evening Sun reporter’s Raspberry Pecan Thumbprints pulled out a surprising victory. That’s right – my cookies took home the Tastiest Cookie award!
Too boot, they also raised a whopping $260 in the live auction, thanks to a heated bidding war. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty exciting.
For all my shameless self-promotion over the last week, I really didn’t expect to come out on top. After all, I was up against some stiff competition. Somehow, though, my little darlings pulled it off – beating out the goodies baked up by more than 30 of the area’s actual celebrities.
To be honest, I was just happy to make the top 10. I was delighted when a friend called to tip me off to this fact a couple of hours before the Night of Cookies and Cream was set to start. But almost instantly, I was beset by nerves. I wasn’t too sure how they’d fare in the event’s live auction. I stressed about it the entire time I was at the gym. (Since I knew my dinner would consist of cookies and milk, I thought getting a pre-event workout in would be a good idea.)
When I arrived shortly before 6:30, there were already plenty of people milling around. I, of course, made a bee-line for the chocolate chip cookies I knew to have been donated by Hoppie’s. (I had no trouble picking them out of the line-up.)
Thus fortified, I checked out the competition. Which was a mistake, since it did nothing to quiet my nerves.
As I “worked” the room, taking pictures and chit-chatting with a few friends (including a few of my former Leadership Chenango classmates who helped out with the event), I stopped caring about all that, though. Because it was so great to see so many people come out for the cause – which was, of course, raising money for The Children’s Center’s scholarship fund.
By the time the silent auction closed and it was time for the live auction to get under way, I had decided I’d be happy if I finished in the middle of the pack. Not at the bottom of the top ten, but maybe a respectable 5th or 6th place.
I kept my fingers crossed as the first two jars were pulled, and Auctioneer Jerry LeClar set to work. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him in action, and it was amazing. He really whipped up the energy and excitement in the room, as everyone was drawn in by the spectacle of it all.
As each jar of cookies was auctioned off, I felt my own anxiety build. And then, suddenly there were just three jars left: Norwich Police Chief Joe Angelino (who took top prize in the first year of the event), Norwich Mayor Joe Maiurano and me.
