SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GLIDE is pleased to announce the 15th Annual eBay Charity Auction for Power Lunch with Warren Buffett. Offered through eBay, bidding for this year’s charity auction runs June 1 at 7:30pm PDT through June 6 at 7:30pm PDT.
Each year legendary investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett hosts just one charity power lunch to help support GLIDE’s programs. For the past 15 years, Buffett’s sustained commitment and the philanthropic spirit of the winning bidders have helped raise nearly $16 million to support GLIDE’s unwavering mission to help San Francisco’s residents in need.
The bidding starts at $25,000 and all bidders must pre-qualify prior to placing their bids at ebay.com/glide. The winning bidder may invite seven friends to join Buffett for lunch at Smith & Wollensky, “the quintessential New York steakhouse.” Over the years, the winning bids have ranged from $25,000 to $3,456,789, with the funds going to support GLIDE’s programs, which help people overcome hunger, poverty, homelessness and debilitating health challenges.
“We appreciate all of the bidders and Warren Buffett’s 15-year investment in our community,” said GLIDE’s Co-Founder and Minister of Liberation Reverend Cecil Williams. “Our true mission at GLIDE has always been to serve the poor first and foremost and Mr. Buffett’s generosity helps us do that in a powerfully human way.”
“I saw people that the world had given up on, but that Cecil and Janice had not given up on and I saw the transformative power of unconditional love in what they were doing,” said Mr. Buffett when asked why he supports GLIDE. “It really hit me.”
With unconditional support and love for all, GLIDE serves over 850,000 meals yearly; operates supportive housing; provides a health clinic; and offers dozens of service programs that invest in people’s ability to break the cycle of poverty.
The eBay Giving Works program is part of a portfolio of programs, resources, and tools across eBay Inc. that are intended to enable and inspire online charity donations at a scale never seen before. For information and to pre-qualify, call 800-679-2681, email Buffett@Glide.org, or visit ebay.com/glide.