Lethbridge College Clayton Allen Memorial Wine Auction
This event has been the mainstay of Andrew Hilton’s charitable efforts over the last 17 years. The original idea was conceived by Lance Brown, then the Lethbridge College Foundation’s Executive Director, and Max Baines; and in 1991 became the first charitable wine auction to be held in Alberta. Clayton Allen, wine connoisseur, philanthropist, and friend, became the first member of the newly organized Wine Auction Committee, and following his passing the Auction was named in his honor.
The Auction is a 3 part event, with a large Silent Auction, followed by a 5 course meal, prepared entirely by students of Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers program, followed by the main event, the Live Auction. The Live Auction is the most famous part of the evening and has seen some truly unbelievable items offered up for bid, such as week-long stays at Bordeaux Chateaux, vertical tastings back to the 1960s, signed limited edition bottles, and other rarities that are too numerous to mention.
The event has been supported tremendously well by, initially, the Wine Industry, and in recent years following Privatization, the Auction has also seen a number of rare spirit based auction lots, especially Single Malt Scotches. Andrew Hilton would like to thank all those companies who have generously supported this event by donating items for both the silent and live auctions. In addition to industry support, the Auction has been very well supported by Southern Alberta. From humble beginnings, with only 120 attendees, the event raised in excess of $10,000. The auction has grown a great deal since then, and this past year saw over 250 attendees, with over $125,000 raised. In the 18 years that the auction has been held, we have raised over $1,150,000.
The Lethbridge College oversees the spending of all funds raised by the Auction, with funds raised having supported such College initiatives as:
- Tech 2000 Capital Campaign
- Bursary Funds
- Scholarship Programs
- Library Improvement/Expansion
- Culinary Careers Program
- IT Programs for Disabled Students
This Year will mark the 19th year for our Wine Auction, and we would be delighted if you were to join us.