Murphy PTO Plans April 1 Basket Raffle, Silent Auction

April 1, the Boston Red Sox open their season in Texas. And April 1 in Montville, you could become the owner of a baseball autographed by Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz.

The ball is one of a treasure trove of items up for auction at the Charles E. Murphy Elementary School's PTO Fundraiser, which happens April 1, at the school, starting at 6 p.m.

And just because some among us believe that Buchholz (right-handed starter, who had a 2.33 ERA last season, and a 17-7 record) might be one of the true saving graces of the Red Sox, and just because some of us might be focused entirely on that baseball, it truly is not the only gem in the room.

Heather Browne, fund-raising chairman of the PTO, says there's lots of great stuff up for auction and in the basket raffles, too.

The students themselves choose the themes for the baskets, and then parents donate items or money. One lucky parent in each class shops for the baskets, filling in around the donations.

Browne says the baskets are valued between $50 and $100. They have various themes; one might be a spa basket, for instance. One could be a car-care basket.  There are more than 40 baskets to be raffled, so the appeal is pretty broad, Browne says.

The raffle is a teacup raffle. Tickets are 25 cents each, or 20 for $5. You put as many tickets as you want in the container in front of the basket you want. The winner need not be at the event, Browne says.

In addition to the basket raffle, there's a 50/50 raffle at $1 a ticket; the winner gets half of the entire ticket take.

There are door prizes, too. Already, Browne says, a numver of local businesses, including Brookside Hair Design, the Nook, Laf's Pizza, Ben & Jerry's in Mohegan Sun and more have donated.

In addition to the Clay Buchholz-signed baseball - Browne got in touch with the Red Sox and asked, and lo and behold, the team sent her the ball - the silent auction includes a gift certificate to Margaritaville at Mohegan Sun, a one-week NY Giants football camp, an American Girl doll, a Keurig coffee maker, a Providence Bruins signed cap, Stampin Up supplies, and more.

This is the 14th year for this fund-raiser, Browne says, and it's the PTO's major one for the year. She expects more than 200 people to attend; it is at the Charles E. Murphy School, from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, April 1.

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