ACES Will Host Annual Auction on Thursday in Mather

AMANDA SCOPELLITI ’20
STAFF WRITER
Each March, Trinity’s Annual Community Event Staff (ACES) hosts an auction in order to raise money for a local charity of their choosing. The student group solicits donations from local restaurants, service groups, and on-campus offices in order to purchase items to be auctioned off to students and members of the Trinity community. Current ACES presidents Alex Donald ’19 and Lexie Axon ’19 say that although the auction has been an ACES tradition for the past 25 years, each year it is unique because the members choose a different charity to donate to. In years past, ACES has donated the money to various Hartford organizations including Peter’s Retreat, St. Agnes Home, Habitat for Humanity, the Charter Oak Boxing Academy, Hartford Interval House, Youth United for Survival, and the Immaculate Conception Shelter.
This year, Donald, Axon, and the members of the Annual Community Event Staff have decided to put the funds from the auction towards IMMACare, an organization that aims to reduce homelessness in Hartford. On their website, IMMACare Inc. states that they have “much to offer their clients in the way of shelter, food, clothing, medical assistance, case management, government assistance, education, employment and housing services.” The organization offers a 24-hour emergency shelter that provides homeless clients who are often struggling with mental or physical health problems with services such as “a safe place to sleep, a healthy meal, and access to clothing, showers, laundry, and referrals for mental health and substance abuse counseling, medical services.” In addition to offering shelter, IMMACare has a Mobile Outreach Case Manager who travels through Hartford in an attempt to build trusting relationships with individuals who are struggling with homelessness and sleeping in places such as parks and abandoned buildings that are located in dangerous areas of the city. Additionally, IMMACare offers supportive housing that makes it possible for the homeless to become homeowners as well as job training programs to help the homeless find jobs in the city.
The ACES auction to raise funds for IMMACare will be held this year on Thursday, Mar. 30 in Mather Hall. Presidents Alex Donald and Lexie Axon say that hosting in Mather is intentional so that “students will be there for dinner regardless of our event.” Donald and Axon boast that ACES will be auctioning off some pretty cool items this year including “Celtics tickets, ESPN merchandise, restaurant gift cards, alcohol.” Trinity students have the opportunity to score some major goods while supporting an awesome organization by bidding in the auction. Donald and Axon encourage all Trinity students to participate in the ACES auction, saying that “the auction is an easy way for the student body to actively participate in raising money for a great cause.” So, keep an eye out for the ACES auction on Thursday, Mar. 30 in Mather. This auction is a great way to raise money for an organization that helps combat homelessness in Hartford, and every Trinity student should be encouraged to participate in this great event.