CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings\' Parsons, Landmesser to play auctioneer

May 20, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN—It's baaaaaaaack! Bids 4 Kids annual live televised auction airs this week, starting Sunday, May 22 and running through Tuesday, May 24, with Memphis RiverKings team captain Don Parsons and defenseman Derek Landmesser serving as celebrity auctioneers.

Bids 4 Kids benefits DeSoto Sunrise Homes emergency shelter and girls' home and features all kinds of potential bargains. Some of the big items up for grabs include a half carat diamond; a one-week stay at Silver Dunes resort in Destin, Fla.; RiverKings season tickets; complete set of autographed John Grisham books; 15 lessons at DeSoto Ballroom Dance Company; and a 4-man team in the DeSoto Sunrise Annual Golf Tournament at Cottonwood Golf Course.

The auction features all kinds of other items such as autographed merchandise and apparel from University of Tennessee, University of Mississippi, and Mississippi State University; a Tennessee Titans football autographed by quarterback Steve McNeer; and gift certificates for eye exams and dinner at Gold Strike Casino Steakhouse.

Parsons and Landmesser will serve as celebrity auctioneers on Tuesday night. Other auctioneers include prominent local leaders, such as DeSoto County Schools Superintendent Milton Kuykendall. The auction will be on Time Warner cable Channel 19 from 7-10 p.m.

DeSoto Sunrise Director of Promotions Cindy Donaldson and her husband, Dr. David Donaldson, oversee operations of the Homes through the non-profit organization they founded, Christian Counseling Ministries.

"Some of the city leaders, including Mayor Greg Davis, came to us three years ago when DeSoto Sunrise was about to close and asked us to take it on," Cindy Donaldson said. "God just told us we needed to do it."

Donaldson said she feels a strong connection with the children that come to the homes because of similar events that occurred in her own childhood. The boys and girls that are cared for at DeSoto Sunrise Homes come from abused and neglected backgrounds. The emergency shelter houses boys and girls ages birth to 19; the DeSoto Sunrise Girls Home houses 12 girls from sixth grade through college. Last year DeSoto Sunrise Homes served 200 children.

"They come with nothing and we have to provide for all their needs," Donaldson said. "We get close to them. They feel safe. When they leave, many of them get upset, because we become their family."

Donaldson said the event would never happen if it weren't for the amazing amount of support the organization receives from the community. Just feeding the event's 60 volunteers requires a big commitment from a sponsor, but three different restaurants have stepped up to the plate: Sopranos Italian eatery, Fire ‘N Stone pizzeria and Old Style BBQ. And that's just one example of community generosity, Donaldson says.

Donaldson's entire family has gotten into the spirit of helping. Her daughter Jessica organized "Rockin' the Grove," three years ago, an all-day concert featuring 12 local rock bands at Snowden Grove Park. This year's "Rockin' the Grove" will be Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. It's become an annual event, which was attended last year by about 300 people. Cost is just $7 at the gate.

For more information on DeSoto Sunrise Homes or Bids 4 Kids, call Donaldson at 662-342-0155.



Central Hockey League Stories from May 20, 2005


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