Letter from Ellis Bromberg & Kim Sosa
Letter from Ellis & Kim
May 1, 2013
If you're reading this column in late April or early May, chances are good you can turn on your TV right now to Channel 10.1 to see THE 2013 GREAT TV AUCTION, our biggest event this month.
With its $1 million goal, it is the largest public TV auction in the entire country, a significant revenue line in our annual budget. Since the first AUCTION in 1969, it has grown to be a popular, much-anticipated event in these parts!
So we encourage your participation as a donor, as a bidder, as a viewer, as a volunteer, or best yet, all of the above - for this year's version, "One Hula of an Auction."
Among the reasons THE AUCTION is so popular with people who love Milwaukee Public Television is that while folks know of its importance as a fundraiser, it's also quite a lot of fun! But it's not the only fundraising activity that our viewers can become involved with, enjoy, and benefit from. Here are a few that may not be as well-known as THE AUCTION:
- TRAVEL WITH MPTV is a new program that offers our fans the opportunity to experience unique travel experiences with compelling itineraries, learning themes, and public TV personalities. In the works are: a visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Gwen Ifill, Scott Simon, and Ric Burns for discussions about politics and current events; luxury cruises which include the best of the Middle East, India, Thailand, Singapore, and through the Panama Canal to South America; and delightful Mississippi riverboat cruises aboard the American Queen steamboat which will focus on the Civil War, feature an American Presidents fall foliage voyage, and an ANTIQUES ROADSHOW adventure in the antebellum South. For more information, please call our partners at Uncommon Journeys (888-508-3401) or e-mail info@artfultravelers.com.
Your participation generates a donation to MPTV.
- THE MPTV CRUISERS is another great travel program we offer each year. The upcoming trip, January 10-19, 2014, is an exciting New Orleans/Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Sunrise. There will be two days and nights exploring New Orleans, followed by seven days cruising to Mahogany Bay, Belize City, and Cozumel. For more information, call our good friend Cheryl Wolf at 262-502-0498 or write her at cwolf@cruiseone.com. A portion of your fare supports MPTV.
- If you're thinking about selling your car, boat, motorcycle, truck, or other vehicle, please consider the MPTV VEHICLE DONATION PROGRAM instead. It's extremely simple: call 855-240-6788 toll-free and we'll take care of the rest, including pick-up, at absolutely no cost to you. Once your vehicle has been sold, you'll be sent a receipt for your tax records, and the sale proceeds will be donated to MPTV in your name. And of course, you'll be supporting all the programs you love on MPTV with your donation!
- Please consider PLANNED GIVING opportunities: supporting MPTV, a service which uses television to educate, inform, and inspire, is a rewarding way to leave a living legacy. Many people do not consider gift planning for fear that they don't have a large enough estate. But bequests of any size are appreciated at MPTV, and whether you wish to donate an entire estate, a fixed dollar amount, or a percentage of your assets, bequests are easy to make. Our Karen Van Hoof (414-297-8004; vanhoofk@matc.edu) can walk you through the options, even if you already have an existing will.
Finally, as we "celebrate Tax Day" this month, remember that all gifts to MPTV - be it your membership contribution, your donated vehicle, your donation to THE GREAT TV AUCTION - are tax-deductible to the full-extent that the law allows. That's just one more reason to contribute: you help the station while helping yourself at the same time!
