Giving Tuesday Spotlight: 2024 Fantasy Gifts For Good Auction

For the first time, the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the Broadcasters Foundation of America are blending holiday generosity with the chance to win extraordinary opportunities, all to support both vital organizations with the Fantasy Gifts and Experiences for Good Auction.

In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, Radio Ink revists our November conversation with Benztown President and LABF Board Member Dave “Chachi” Denes to discuss the inspiration behind this one-of-a-kind event, how it helps, and the unforgettable items and experiences up for grabs.

Radio Ink: How did this event come about and how did you all come to work with the Broadcasters Foundation of America?

Dave “Chachi” Denes: So, Neiman Marcus does a fantasy catalog every year for Christmas. They still do it, believe it or not, but it used to be a physical catalog that you would get in the mail and it was just these extravagant gifts that you could get your loved ones. Like his and her Porsches or diamond-encrusted Tiffany watches all sorts of crazy things.

I always thought that was really neat, so we started spitballing on a way to generate some donations for both the Broadcasters Foundation of America and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and we came up with the idea to have a Fantasy Gifts and Experiences for Good, so we created our own little version of the Neiman Marcus catalog.

Radio Ink: You all hit the mark pretty well. It’s impossible to ignore the first item on the list. It’s arguably better than diamond-encrusted watches – it’s a Taylor Swift autographed guitar. That’s not diamond-encrusted is it? She loves to bedazzle her staff, doesn’t she?

Dave “Chachi” Denes: It is not diamond-encrusted, but it does have some of the cover art from her album on the guitar. It’s a really cool, unique guitar and is an incredible gift, especially for all those Taylor Swift fans.

We have an acoustic autographed guitar signed by close to 20 of Country music’s favorite artists. It’s ridiculous. Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood, and Darius Rucker, just to name a few. That’s courtesy of our friends at Premiere Networks and iHeartMedia.

Radio Ink: Either sounds like a dream Christmas morning. There are also a lot of other great autographed items for sports fans.

Dave “Chachi” Denes: Yes, thanks to Beasley Media Group, we have got a signed Jason Tatum basketball. He just won the championship and is an obvious future Hall of Famer. That’s courtesy of 98.5 The Sports Hub, which is incredibly cool. We also have a Luka Dončić signed rookie card from us here at Benztown.

Then we’ve got some really cool experiences that are also part of the online auction. We’ve got a luxury VIP experience to go see the Cowboys in Dallas, thanks to Compass Media. We also have an awesome package for Yankees fans – four tickets to see the ALCS Champions, plus a meet and greet with the play-by-play team.

Radio Ink: And the best part is you’ll also help two wonderful organizations.

Dave “Chachi” Denes: That’s right. You’ll help the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, which is focused on preserving all the amazing things that the radio industry and the television industry have created over the years and archiving them for future generations. And then the Broadcasters Foundation of America, another wonderful organization that helps broadcasters in need. They recently just had to help several broadcasters that were impacted by the hurricane. And so we’re excited to be involved and to help these two wonderful organizations.

Radio Ink: And how long will the silent auction last?

Dave “Chachi” Denes: Those 14 or 15 different items will run through Giving Tuesday, which is December 3. And if you’d like to help out without bidding on an item, there’s a donation box on the silent auction site. Also, if you’ve got an item and would like to help out, we would love any sort of experiences or cool memorabilia or anything that you could potentially donate for us to auction to help benefit these organizations. If interested, reach out to Susan Aksu at [email protected].

Again, we really want to thank iHeartMedia, Beasley Media Group, Compass Media Networks, ENCO, Premiere Networks, Audacy, Benztown, the NAB, Skyview Networks, Good Karma Brands, Hearst, and Radio Ink for either sponsoring or donating to this event.

See all the items up for bidding in the 2024 Fantasy Gifts & Experiences for Good benefitting the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the Broadcasters Foundation of America here.