Gather your basketball knowledge and your checkbook and meet supporters of UrbanFUTURE on TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 at the Missouri Athletic Club Downtown for the 4th annual UrbanFUTURE March Madness Charity Challenge. With OVER $10,000 IN PRIZES up for grabs, this event is a charity event unlike any other, and not to be missed by sports fans gearing up for the NCAA basketball tournament.

WHAT TO SHOOT FOR: Top prizes for the event include $1,000+ gift cards; weekend sports experiences with Mizzou, Notre Dame, Cardinals, Rams, and Blues; travel packages; and plenty of other prizes appealing to a diverse mix of sports fans.  A few of our featured auction items include:

• Golf with the Blues - Play the course with Blues' legends Al McGinnis and Blake Dunlop during a round of golf at Boone Valley, voted the best course in Missouri by Golf Digest.
• Chef Gitto's Private Party - Dinner for four prepared by Charlie Gitto at the home of Art Johnson.
• Zamboni Cruise - 4 lower level tickets to a Blues game with a Zamboni ride at intermission.
• Fighting Irish Package - Four tickets to the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina game on October 11, 2014 in South Bend.
• Mile High Package - Private aircraft for four to a premier sporting event.  Stay tuned for more details.
• Big Hitter Package - Four '100' level Cardinals tickets, field passes for pre-game batting practice and meet and greet with the Cardinal's John Jay on the field.
• Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Package - Two tickets to NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Kanses Speedway on October 5th.  Pre-race tour of the garage, trailer and track hosted by Richard Childress Racing.  Meet and greet with Richard Childress and/or the RCR drivers.  Pit passes to watch the race from the RCR pits.
• Flat Screen TV Package - Complete with installation, including wall mounting.
• A $500 Walmart Gift Card
• A Reactor Watch

SPECIAL GUEST: Our auction emcee will again be St. Louis sports icon 

ZIP RZEPPA

Zip became a popular nightly television sportscaster, first at KTVI-TV Channel 2, and then at KMOV-TV Channel 4. His weekly “Zippo Awards” entertained local audiences on a weekly basis for 17 years.

HOW IT WORKS:  Doors open at 6:30 pm and your $50 admission donation includes your drinks and appetizers for the evening.  The “main event” of the Challenge is an auction of the 64 NCAA men’s basketball teams whereby individuals, or groups of individuals, can bid on each of the teams.  Event attendees also have the opportunity to partake in bracket pools, door entry prizes and other games that yield significant prizes all for the benefit of UrbanFUTURE’s students.  Even if the auction is something you do not want to participate in, we still encourage you to come and experience the event and support this wonderful cause. 

• 48 of the tournament teams (teams seeded #5-16) will be up for bid via silent auction.  Each of these 48 teams will be accompanied by an auction item.  Last year’s silent auction items ranged from a $25 gift card to Kaldi’s Coffee, Draftmark Systems from A-B, to pairs of Cardinals tickets located behind home plate.  Winning bidders will get to take home the physical item at the end of the night and will be awarded the related team which will qualify for the Performance Prizes.

• The 16 top ranked teams (teams seeded #1-4) will be up for bid in a live auction.  These 16 teams will not be accompanied by a physical auction item, but will qualify for and provide the best chance to win Performance Prizes.  Last year’s auction of the #1-4 seeds ranged from $500-$1,200.

• The Performance Prizes are awarded to the owners of the teams advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.  Performance Prizes have a minimum fair market value of $250 each, with several worth $2,500 or more.  These include weekend getaways to sporting events, $1,000+ gift cards, golf foursomes at Bellerive and Old Warson, LDC televisions, Cardinals green seats, iPads, and many more.

• “Owners” of teams that make it to the Sweet Sixteen win one Performance Prize. 

• “Owners” of teams that make it to the Final Four win two Performance Prizes. 

• Note that all auctioned off teams (including silent auction teams) qualify for the Performance Prizes.  Sweet Sixteen and Final Four prizes are awarded in order of advancement (i.e. owner of National Championship team gets first pick, and so on).

Whether you’re supporting UrbanFUTURE, you’re jockeying for bragging rights for your alma mater or you’re crazy about March Madness, this event is a can’t-miss experience for you and your friends. 

We look forward to seeing you on March 18!

Join us in supporting UrbanFUTURE by attending the March Madness Charity Auction.  Proceeds from the event will help fund mentoring, tutoring and career exploration programs that provide 6th - 8th grade students an opportunity to prepare for success in high school and beyond, restoring the collaboration between the home, school and the community.  Together we can eliminate the academic achievement gap and help urban youth see and believe in their possibilities.