Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure ran their first successful online auction with cMarket. Raising over $22,700 for breast cancer research and to benefit local women and their families, their "Bidding for the Cure" auction featured a number of desirable items including historic tours and exotic vacations, fun family activities, wellness packages and autographed memorabilia.

To prepare for their auction, the MA Affiliate took advantage of the sponsorship placement opportunities on their site. They recruited well known sponsors such as Boston.com and Big Y World Class Market to subsidize their fundraiser. They were also able to collect enticing items from their constituency that not only drew attention to their catalog, but that also led to competitive bidding among participants. Komen for the Cure leveraged the recognizable Pink color symbolizing breast cancer awareness and support by presenting a number of autographed pink baseballs signed by Red Sox players such as Mike Lowell, Jonathan Papelbon and Jason Varitek, which raised over $2,000 for the organization. In addition to the baseballs, they featured an afternoon on a private chartered yacht and a Key West Vacation, though it was one of the more unique and popular items in their catalog that raised the most money. They offered the opportunity to be a Boston Celtics Ballboy/Ballgirl and assist the NBA players during their warm-ups - a rare experience that earned $2,100 alone for the auction.

The organization benefited from an attractive catalog which resulted in the spirited bidding of motivated participants. The Massachusetts Affiliate utilized the "Buy Now" feature on their online auction pages solely for donations. They earned close to $500 from enabling this feature allowing individuals who preferred not to compete for items, but rather to show their support by simply donating. "We were delighted with this first-time outcome and look forward to growing our auction relationships and both contributors and bidders" said Miriam May, Executive Director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Mass. Affiliate.

The "Bidding for a Cure" online auction ran in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By taking their fundraising efforts online and placing their auction catalog on the web with cMarket, the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure was able to raise more money for life-saving programs and research aimed at eradicating this disease.