2020 Destination Auction: Expand Your Universe event logo
Regardless of what challenges they may face, Spartans always carry on together. With the recent and necessary transitionary changes being made at MSU to slow the spread of coronavirus, the School of Hospitality Business has decided to conduct the 2020 Destination Auction: Expand Your Universe fundraising event in an entirely online format.
“The auction could provide a fun distraction for folks who are homebound and may provide them with some fabulous items, stays and travel (when that becomes popular again!),” Carl Borchgrevink, John and Becky Duffey Faculty Fellow and director of the School of Hospitality Business, said.
This year’s Destination Auction will take place virtually and run for two weeks, beginning Saturday, March 21, and ending Saturday, April 4.
For more than 20 years, the Destination Auction has been the premiere fundraising event offered to connect the School of Hospitality Business, the student Hospitality Association and its Alumni Association. The event features spectacular individual travel and experience packages donated by alumni and other industry friends in both live and silent auctions.
The proceeds are given back to the School of Hospitality Business to provide student scholarships and development resources. Lucy Tomer, hospitality business senior and CEO of this year’s Destination Auction, feels that now is an especially crucial time for this event, considering impacts on the hospitality industry.
“With many hospitality companies forced to make cuts, they will be hiring fewer students and providing fewer positions for our graduates,” Tomer said. “If alumni are willing to give back, they will ensure we are raising money that will be put towards students’ education and have the tools to overcome the pushback that the industry will be facing.”
Additionally, a portion of the winning bids is donated to local organizations assisting the community surrounding MSU. The organizations that will benefit this year are the Junior League of Lansing, the Capital Area Humane Society and the Firecracker Foundation.
“Under the best circumstances, these organizations need support,” Borchgrevink said. “Given the current crisis with many of their volunteers and in the case of CAHS, engaging in social isolation, they are in particular need of support to continue their work.”
For more information on how to give back and participate in this online fundraising event, visit the MSU Destination Auction website.
