World-Champion Auctioneers Gear Up For Annual Toy Auction Play Money Purchases Plentiful Playthings for Children at St. Jude MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas comes a month early for the children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis -- or so it seems for many of them. That's because each year in November, the National Auctioneers Association conducts its ever-popular toy auction for the patients. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030318/NAALOGO ) The entertaining event, set this year for Nov. 17, allows the pint-size patients to "bid" on a wide array of shiny, new toys using play money. The children vie for dolls, trucks, videos and other donated playthings using the auction method of marketing. The fast-paced event covers many aspects of the auction experience from bidder registration to friendly bidder competition. Toys are lined up on tables so the children can scope out items for which they would like to bid. The NAA's reigning international auctioneer champions, Jeff Stokes, Edgewood, Wash., and Kaija Kokesh, Palisade, Minn., will host this year's event using their refined chants to "sell" the toys to the crowd, while giving them a taste of what it's like to attend a real auction. Both Stokes and Kokesh have provided support for the hospital over the years through benefit auctions and by allocating proceeds from specially marked items to their cause. But Kokesh's first experience with St. Jude came at age 15. Her community sponsored a bike-a-thon to raise money for the hospital, and she rode the farthest -- 33 miles. Now she will personally visit the hospital to spend time with the children and brighten their lives. "I'm the mother of four and know it will be a heart-wrenching experience for me," she said. "But I also expect it will be the highlight of my year." The NAA adopted St. Jude as its official charity in 1995, and since that time has donated nearly $3 million to further the hospital's cause of treating children with life-threatening illnesses. Throughout the year, NAA members auction earmark items for St. Jude at events, or organize entire St. Jude- related functions such as large auctions, bake sales or golf tournaments. They believe wholeheartedly in the words of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas who said "no child should die in the dawn of life." Other auctioneers and NAA staff attending the event will be Mike Jones, CAI, president-elect; John Roebuck, former NAA president; and Robert Shively, CAE, chief executive officer. With more than 7,000 members from throughout the world, the National Auctioneers Association is the largest organization of its kind dedicated to promoting the auction method of marketing and enhancing the professionalism of its members. Member benefits range from federal legislative representation to comprehensive continuing education programs, including coursework to earn the following professional auctioneer designations: Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI), Accredited Auctioneer, Real Estate (AARE), Graduate, Personal Property Appraiser (GPPA) and Certified Estate Specialist (CES). The organization was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan. For more information on the NAA and its programs, log on to http://www.auctioneers.org/ . Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030318/NAALOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840 DATASOURCE: National Auctioneers Association CONTACT: Robert A. Shively, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of NAA, +1-888-541-8084 ext. 11, Web site: http://www.auctioneers.org/

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