[Mpls] Silent Auction Donations Requested!

[Amy Bergquist]

Hi List,

I'm generally a lurker on the list, but I was a MPS teacher for 11 
years (technically I'm just on a LOA) and now I'm embarking on a new 
career as I start my 1st year at the University of Minnesota Law School 
(yes, it's in Minneapolis, so this is somewhat list-specific!).

For the past 12 years or so, first year law students have trekked down 
to Florida and Texas for a week as part of the Asylum Law Project -- we 
get hands-on training in asylum law that we can't get as easily here in 
Minneapolis.  Asylees and refugees are a big part of the population of 
Minneapolis (and the Minneapolis Public Schools), and for those of us 
who want to practice immigration law, the experience will be extremely 
helpful for serving those communities here in Minneapolis when we 
graduate.

Every year we do a silent auction as a major fundraiser to help cover 
some of our costs for our trips.  This year it is November 9 (9am - 
9pm) and 10 (9am - 6pm) at Mondale Hall (229 19th Avenue South), and I 
am writing to you for two purposes:

* You are invited to come to the auction and bid on the donations -- we 
have some very fun and interesting things donated so far!  We are 
holding a wine and cheese party as part of the auction on November 9 
from 6-9.

* You are encouraged to make a donation.  Maybe you have a skill and 
are willing to give a free lesson, or maybe you have an interesting job 
and you're willing to take a poor law student out to lunch to talk 
about it, or maybe you have something sitting around your house that is 
in good shape but is no longer needed.  Maybe you work at a business 
that is willing to donate a gift certificate or a product.  We've had 
donations ranging from homemade jams and jellies, to a week at a cabin 
in northern Minnesota.  We welcome just about anything you can think of 
that could be auctionable.

If you have any questions or want to donate, let me know.

Thanks for your time, and for the stimulating discussions of 
Minneapolis Issues!

Amy Bergquist
berg0512 at umn.edu
U of MN Law School Class of 2007
Downtown East W7 P11
612-338-1563