Yatooma Foundation’s Champions for the Kids VIP Dinner & Auction

Despite the economy, the fourth annual two-day fundraiser for Norman Yatooma’s foundation that honors his father’s memory began with a sold-out (350) gala at the Townsend. Guests socialized, schmoozed and bid $25,000 in the silent auctions before dinner, but what happened after dinner made the Sunday evening notable.

When he accepted the Champion Award for his unparalleled support ($100,000 per year through 2011) of Yatooma’s Foundation For The Kids, title event sponsor Prototype Systems’ Jeff Feltrin explained why – he knew from the experience of his mother’s death that survivors have immediate needs when a parent dies.

Then a video featuring the devastating tragedy that caused Kim Newberry and her three children to need help from Yatooma’s Foundation For The Kids was followed by the young widow’s personal report of their progress. She received a standing ovation when Yatooma gave her the inaugural Bridge to the Future Award.

These moving moments were followed by a live auction with Dan Stall encouraging the bidders to part with $140,000. You’ll not likely be surprised that Feltrin and a friend bid $43,000 of that total on one item – coach Tom Izzo’s donation of a trip for two to an away game with the MSU basketball team. But given the current condition of the car business you might be surprised to learn that Feltrin’s friend is a car dealer. That is unless you know of Hoot McInerney’s legendary generosity.

Combined with the next day’s golf tournament, which we will detail along with some other charity golf events later in the summer, Yatooma’s Foundation’s Champions for the Kids 2009 grossed nearly $600,000. This brings to more than $2-million the four-year total of dollars raised to ameliorate the grief that can overwhelm a family when a parent dies.