I’ve said it before (and you’ll probably hear it again every now and then), a non-profit runs on two things: volunteers and donations. The Joy of Music is no exception, in fact it’s a microcosm of the whole big monstrosity. Volunteers are already at work getting things primed and there will be an ever-increasing need for more hands and brains to make things happen. Don’t be shy, dive on in. The water’s fine and nothing will bite you (okay…give the tenors a little extra space…you never know about them).

Quite a bit of the JOM evening comes with a price tag – things like renting the space, food, that sort of stuff – so there isn’t all that much associated with the dinner that ends up being a donation. However, the silent auction…now THAT is a different story (and an opportunity for everyone to help in several ways…we’ll come back to that). Items that are donated are 100% revenue generators to go toward the operation (and survival) of the Choral Society and the bigger it is the better it is. The last two have been epic and I have no doubt that we’ll raise the bar again this year.

So here’s where the joy of the month comes in, it’s all of us coming together to create the silent auction. It won’t just build itself, it needs everyone to make it grow. “What can I do?” you ask. Good of you to bring it up.

If you can, be part of the machine. We’ve got the whole thing figured out by now (thank you Mary M, you are an angel), but it takes a tight team of volunteers to keep it all organized. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of fun and it’s incredibly rewarding when the dust settles at the end.

If you don’t have the time available to be part of the behind-the-scenes excitement, you’re still an integral part. “How is that?” you ask. Simple: go out and get stuff to be auctioned off. We all have favorite businesses that just need to be asked to give a product or gift certificate. So ask! Restaurants, stores, painters, plumbers, ask them all. There will be a process to make sure we don’t bombard the same place over and over, more about that as we get further down the road, but make yourself a list of likely donors. Many of you will remember the trade that we made with Whole Foods in Kailua; they provided stuff that we needed for the dinner and we provided flash mobs in the store. Seriously hilarious fun.

You can also donate something yourself. It may not be an item you can set on a table (or it might be…that bottle of port from 40 years ago would be just fine), it may be something that you share with the winning bidder. For example, at the last JOM there were two different boating excursions up for auction; not on those Waikiki cattle cars, these were private boats that offered a sunset cruise with wine and pupus and a chance to make new friends. Mrs. Blogmeister bought one as a surprise and it was just plain awesome. It turned into a whale watching adventure, too. A nice bonus!

Be creative, use your own “fun meter” as your guide. If you enjoy something, chances are someone else will too and will bid on it (and people who get seasick will pass on the boat rides). Since you and the winning bidder already know it will be fun, a grand time is guaranteed. Joy all around, just as it should be.