NYC AIDS Walk/Kristin's Closet Auction
The fight against AIDS has always been important to both Kristin and her fanclub staff, so when fanclub members expressed interest in walking for a cause, it was only natural that it be the AIDS Walk. It seemed like an opportunity to not only support a cause we are passionate about, but also a way for Glitter members to get to know each other, and their staff, and an opportunity for fans to add to their Chenoweth collections in a brand new way!
In an effort to raise team funds, we dedicated all of our autograph proceeds to the AIDS Walk for the months of April and May, along with all sales in our fanclub store (which included sassy new t-shirts for the event). We also held our first AIDS Walk Auction. The auction began as a collection of signed playbills and photos we’d amassed over the year, but with a few last minute donations by Kristin herself, became Inside Kristin’s Closet: The NYC AIDS Walk Auction 2005. We were lucky enough to give fanclub members the opportunity to bid on items directly from Kristin’s closet -- shirts, skirts, a few souvenirs from earlier shows, and even her gift bag from a recent appearance on The Tony Danza Show! It was a huge success, raising $2254, which Kristin enthusiastically matched, and has now become an annual event.
Our first AIDS Walk team was fourteen members strong, including all of the Glitter staff, and several of our moderators. We all had an absolute blast, and many of us formed strong and lasting friendships. The Glitter Staff would like to thank everyone who walked on the 2005 team for getting this tradition off to a great start, and reminding us just why this fanclub is such a fun, generous, wacky community! Check out below for the stats of each year’s auction, who walked on our team, and links to photos from each event!
2005: Inside Kristin's Closet
2006: Inside Kristin's Closet:Glitter Goes Glam!
2007: Kristin's Closet Auction
Auction highlights for the first year were:
Signed ANIMAL CRACKERS playbills – ANIMAL CRACKERS was Kristin’s New York debut, and the Glitter Staff was lucky enough to obtain a handful of them, get them signed, and offer them up for auction. We have been known to say that the early headshot of Kristin was worth the price all by itself! We auctioned two of them, and together they brought in over $200!
Kristin’s CHARLIE BROWN scarf – Kristin parted with one of her favorite gifts from her YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN days, a gorgeous pink scarf with all the Peanuts characters on it. It was given to her when the show was still in previews out in Skokie, Ill., but she gamely signed it anyway and let us auction it off. It went for $130!
Signed AS I AM – Our first auction just happened to be a few short weeks after the release of Kristin’s second album, AS I AM, and she donated us a handful of CDs, some signed with fun sayings. She signed one with our Glitter motto: “A little Glitter goes a long way,” and it went for a whopping $140!!
In total, our fans raised an impressive $2,254, and Kristin matched every dollar, bringing our 2005 auction total to $4,508
Our very first AIDS Walk team members were:
Jaime M.
Aly H.
Cristin W.
Erin C.
Erin R.
Jamie W.
Sandy
Christine H.
Mariah M.
Amanda H.
Sarah C.
Melanie B.
Melanie’s Mom – who was dubbed “GlitterMom” and still holds that title.
Millie A.
Nicol A.
Click here for photos from AIDS Walk 2005!
2006: INSIDE KRISTIN’S CLOSET:GLITTER GOES GLAM
After the unexpected success (and last-minute chaos) of the 2005 auction, the Glitter Staff got their butts in gear early for 2006’s auction. Kristin had her donations ready by the end of November, and wow did she have some great stuff for us! She sent a fantastic collection of gowns, and –lucky for us, and the fans—our auction was right in time for Prom season! In January, the staff sent off all unsigned memorabilia to Kristin, and by March we were ready to roll. We’d learned from the year before, and offered previews of all our items so the bidders could avoid the “Oh, I wish I’d saved my money for that!” syndrome that they’d suffered from during the first auction. And the fans were more prepared as well – they’d been saving their pennies all year, ready to drop some big bucks on brand new ChenoGear! The result was astounding!
Auction highlights:
Kristin’s Placido Domingo dress – This gorgeous red dress was worn to both the Placido Domingo and Friends gala Kristin attended in early 2003, and to several of her concerts in January of 2005, so many of the fans knew it well. It is strapless, beaded, made by Cache, and man was it heavy! It went for a whopping $340!
The WICKED pack – We got lucky on this one! Kristin signed and donated her own personal copy of the Grimmerie, the coffee-table book about the making of WICKED, and she donated the “American Cowgirl” t-shirt she’d worn to WICKED rehearsals the day they were photographed! And as luck would have it, we had a few leftover autographed photos from Summer Projects 1 and 2 – one of Kristin as Glinda, and one of Idina Menzel as Elphaba. We threw it all together as a pack, and let the fans bid. And did they ever! The WICKED pack auctioned at $500!
Professional headshot session – We contacted photographer Ben Strothmann to inquire about his photos of the APPLE TREE rehearsal, and not only did he gladly offer them up for auction, he generously threw in a private headshot session as well! With all the aspiring actors in the fanclub, we knew this one would go over well, especially as Mr. Strothmann has taken headshots for many of Broadway’s finest. The session was our highest-bidding item, bringing in $623!
As extra bidding incentive, Kristin announced halfway through the auction that she would match our donations on a sliding scale – (INSERT SCALE HERE). Apparently our members like to see Kristin pay, because they came through with just over $5,000 in bids! Kristin graciously donated her $3,000, and when our autograph and store donations were added in, we ended the AIDS Walk with $10,081!
Our 2006 AIDS Walk team had a handful of return walkers and a few new friends! The roster was as follows:
Jaime M.
Aly H.
Cristin W.
Erin C.
Erin R.
Jamie W.
Christine H.
Mariah M.
Amanda H.
Melanie B.
Melanie’s Mom!
Jamie G.
Morgan G.
Melissa C.
Cate C.
Andrea G.
Mindy H.
Amy S.
Click here to check out photos of the 2006 AIDS Walk team!
Year three of the auction had the great good fortune to happen after Kristin had spent six months in New York, performing in THE APPLE TREE on Broadway. Luckily for us (and the fans!) this meant six whole months of being able to get things signed and collected without having to rely on the postal system. As a result, we had a whole slew of fun stuff, ranging from our usual signed items and gowns to themed "packs" of memorabilia from Kristin's shows. The 2007 auction set our record for highest total yet -- a whopping $23,000 and change!
Auction highlights:
Kristin's 7/18/04 Foley top, and signed WICKED playbill - Kristin donated the top she wore for the after-party of her final performance at WICKED, along with a signed playbill from the show. The combo went for a whopping $1200!
The WICKED Pack - This year's WICKED pack included another signed Grimmerie, a signed CD, a playbill signed by Kristin, Idina Menzel and Joey Grey, and signed photos of both Kristin and Idina Menzel in character. The pack went for $860.
The Stylist Auction - As a one-time-only auction opportunity, our 2007 auction included a chance to win Kristin as your "personal stylist." The winner filled out a questionnaire, and attached a photo, and Kristin used the info to create a personalized wardrobe for the winner, straight from her own closet! This item was the highest-bidding item in Glitter history, bringing in a whopping $12,000!
Thanks to everyone who has contributed and walked with us! We look forward to yourparticipation in next year’s Inside Kristin’s Closet Auction, and NYC AIDS Walk!
