Dreams Do Come True

The highest bid at the first Possible Dreams Auction in 1979 was for a sailboat ride with Walter Cronkite. It sold for $225.

In the 33 years since, bids haven risen dramatically. Last night, at the 33rd annual Possible Dreams Auction, a winning bidder offered up $25,000 for the chance to fly from John Wayne Airport and land on the deck of the USS Kennedy for a two-day stay in private quarters.

A treasured tradition on Martha's Vineyard, the Possible Dreams Auction took place for the third consecutive year under a grand white tent in Oak Bluffs' Ocean Park. The event benefits one of the Island's largest employers and service providers, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.

The items up for bidding are different than those of a traditional auction. The Possible Dreams auction offers experiences, a chance to connect with one another versus materialized items. For example, the opportunity to discuss and have dinner with Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer, authors of "The Tattooed Girl: The Enigma of Stieg Larsson and the Secrets Behind the Most Compelling Thrillers of Our Time."

Big items such as the opportunity to trace ancestry with Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr. went for $12,500; a dinner of sushi with Jim Belushi netted $5,000.

Navy SEAL and counter-terrorism expert Tom Rancich also put himself—or rather, a dinner with himself—on the auction block. After introducing himself on stage, Rancich insisted Community Services helped give him his life back.

“The people that show up and their sole purpose is helping someone, they saved my life. I have a future now,” Rancich said. “And if I can go up there and tell a couple of jokes and give back, why shouldn’t I?”

Lynn Charron won the Meal with a SEAL for $3,500, and could not have been happier.

“I try to support anything military,” Charron said. “Freedom isn’t free.”

Charron has a lot of military family, and has been coming to the Vineyard for more than 15 years.

“You have to give back to the community,” Charron said. “When you’re fortunate enough to have the ability to help people, it’s good to share it.”

After winning the meal with Rancich, Charron quickly nabbed a lightning-round item, Sing for your Dessert. Her prize? The opportunity to lead the singing for “Swiss Navy” at the Tabernacle and receive two-dozen freshly baked donuts delivered by Backdoor Donuts.

"My kids are going to go crazy for this," Carron said.

The spirit of giving and the thoughts of others were definitely in mind for many Possible Dream Auction participants.

"The generosity is moving," Liz Packer said.

Rubin Cronig, who started his business at the ripe age of 16 and is now the founder of Vineyard Time, agrees it is essential to think of others throughout life.

"So many people have helped me along the way," Cronig said. "It's important to give back."

Martha’s Vineyard Community Services is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year of giving back, through early childhood programs, Island counseling and more. The non-profit organization serves more than 6,000 people on the Island.

“They are there for me, and everybody," Packer said.