The Hillsdale College Women Commissioners are hosting the first-ever Charger Derby on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. The event will be a virtually-simulated horse race derby with live and silent auctions, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres.
The Charger Derby is replacing the former Women Commissioners Sale that took place every fall in the Margot V. Biermann Center.
“We’re never doing the rummage sale again,” Leslie Tonnies, one of the five core committee members for the event, said. “It was just too much. It cost the college over $20,000 to put it on with storage of all the stuff. “By the time we made our $25,000 or $26,000, we were making five or six thousand, basically.”
All proceeds from the Charger Derby will go toward the Women Commissioners scholarships. There are currently 27 endowed scholarships, each valued at $7,800, according to the Women’s Commission new member orientation packet. Tickets to the Charger Derby are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.
“We’re hoping to make $50,000 our first year,” Tonnies said. “And the money would 100% go to scholarships.”
Tonnies said the Women Commissioners are hoping to see 400 people at the event, although she doesn’t expect that many as it’s only the first year.
There will be screens broadcasting various horse races for attendees to bet on. These are real horse races that have happened in the past, but will be in a randomized order. People can place their bets with the purchase of a ticket and “Charger Bucks.”
“Everybody’s going to get a race form with 120 horses and there will be 10 horses per race with funny names and you bet on each race,” Tonnies said. “Prizes are selected based on who wins and just luck of the draw.”
During the horse races, there will also be a silent auction with exclusive prizes, including tickets to the 2020 Masters Tournament, a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas or Caribbean, and a night of Cigars, Cognac, and Churchill with college president Larry Arnn. The prizes have all been donated by friends of the college.
People do not need to be present to bid on or win the prizes. All bidding will be done through the online bidding software, BidPal.
“People can log on to Charger Derby and get a bidder number even though they won’t be here, so they’ll be able to buy our prizes,” Tonnies said. “You just register with your credit card online, you get a bidder number, and then you just use your phone.”
Other prizes include a trip to the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, MI, trips to Park City, Utah and Sedona, AZ and a two-night stay in the Dow Center Hotel during 2020 Homecoming and Parents’ Weekend.
“One of the biggest prizes is probably the NFL Hall of Fame Experience for 2020,” Tonnies said. “It’s a three-day package starting Thursday with the Hall of Fame game, and then on Saturday they have the induction ceremony. We have VIP passes to the induction ceremony. You can’t even buy this stuff.”