GLIDE’s 17th Annual eBay Auction for Power Lunch with Warren Buffett, offered through eBay for Charity, opens at 7:30 pm PDT on Sunday, June 5 and runs until 7:30 pm PDT on Friday, June 10.
For the past 17 years, legendary investor Warren Buffett has hosted an annual power lunch in support of GLIDE, which serves San Francisco’s homeless, poor and most vulnerable residents. To date, with the help of eBay for Charity, over $20 million has been raised through this unique auction experience for the winning bidder to dine with Buffett and up to seven friends at New York City steakhouse Smith & Wollensky. Bidding starts at $25,000 and all bidders must pre-qualify at eBay.com/glide.
“I am proud to be part of something that has directly benefited so many people in need,” said Buffett. “GLIDE is a bridge for thousands of people on the brink of despair, helping them achieve dignity and opportunity by providing them with basic services. Their vital work has a direct and immediate impact.”
“As a partner with us on our mission of unconditional love and support for those in need, Warren Buffett is a great humanitarian and friend who has helped us provide tens of thousands of our neighbors with basic services and the opportunity to improve their lives in an authentic way,” said GLIDE’s Co-Founder and Minister of Liberation Reverend Cecil Williams.
“Empowered by the kind generosity of Warren Buffett and the bidders, GLIDE is able to provide meals, shelter, childcare, legal assistance, counseling and more to help lift people out of hard times and give them hope in their future,” said GLIDE Co-Founder Janice Mirikitani.
“With eBay for Charity, we enable our community to connect to the causes they care about through what we do best— technology-enabled commerce,” said eBay’s Vice President of Corporate Communications and Global Impact, Claire Dixon. “To date, we’ve helped thousands of organizations around the world raise more than $650 million through the eBay platform. We’re proud to be GLIDE’s partner for this iconic auction and help in its mission of alleviating suffering and breaking the cycles of poverty and marginalization.”
The auction was conceived in 2000 by the late Susie Buffett, who long maintained a strong affinity for GLIDE’s efforts to provide dignity and opportunity to all people, regardless of income, gender, religion, political persuasion or any other factor. Winning bids have ranged from $25,000 to $3,456,789, with funds going directly to support GLIDE’s programs. Last year’s auction brought in $2,345,678.
For information about the Auction for a Power Lunch with Warren Buffett, contact GLIDE at 415.674.6001, Buffett@Glide.org or ebay.com/glide. For information about GLIDE, visit Glide.org.