This year we are even trying 2 daytime Auction windows – 2:30pm and 3pm.

Remember bidding starts at $20, unless otherwise indicated and your auctioneers’ decision is FINAL.

2:30-2:59pm Lots

#Lot1 -Artsocket’s Illuminated ($200 )

• “Illuminated” stretched canvas print 36×24″
• Part of Seven Billion Ton online exhibit
• Sponsor – @artsocket

#Lot2 -LTE Rocket™ hub ($275)

• With the Rocket hub, you can create a Wi-Fi zone for up to 15 devices or users, so pretty much your entire family can connect to the Rogers wireless network at the same time.
• Sponsor – @rogersbuzz

3:00-3:29pm Lots

#Lot3 – TIFF Family Membership & Four Tiff Bell Lightbox screening tickets ($218)

• Sponsor – @TIFF_NET

#Lot4 -Tickets for Mesh 13 + Mesh Marketing 13 ($675)

• Sponsor - @meshmarketing @meshcon
• Starting bid: $50

8:00-8:29pm Lots

#Lot5 – Open Road Recording Prize Pack ($150)

• CDs & more from:
  Johnny Reid
  Taylor Swift
  Emerson
  Dean Brody
  High Valley
  Billy Bay Cyrus
• Sponsors – @openroadrecs @taylorswift13 @billyraycyrus

#Lot6 –  4-week gift certificate to BootyCamp ($200)

• Sponsors – @BootyCampFit

#Lot7 –  Linksys EA6500 + Bridge ($360)

• The EA6500 provides the ease and convenience of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi’s cloud-based network control apps with future-ready AC speeds. 
• Sponsors – @theiprgroup @LinksysCanada

8:30-8:59pm  Lots

#Lot8 –  6-course dinner for 4 catered in your home by Chef Matt Kantor of Secret Pickle Supper Club ($850)

• Sponsors - @mattkantor
• Starting bid: $100

#Lot9 – 4 Uber Black Car  Rides ($100)

• Up to $25 per ride
• Sponsors – @uber_TOR

#Lot10 – Motorola Razr V Phone ($400)

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich),  Dual-Core 1.2 GHz processing speed, 8 MPCamera, 4.3 inch ColourBoost™ qHD TFT LCD, Incredibly thin, made DuPont™ Kevlar® strong
• Sponsors – @Motorola_CA

9:00-9:29pm Lots

#Lot11 –  3-for-1 Wine Tour Experiences for 8  ($250)

• 3 gift certificates for wine tour experience at Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery is an award winning artisinal winery on the Beamsville Bench. Approx 45 mins from Toronto
•  Each tour experience is for you plus 8 friends and will teach you about viticulture, beekeeping, winemaking and of course wine tasting.
  
• Sponsors – @rosewoodwine

#Lot12 – Windsor Hills Luxury Guest House -  ($1800)

• 1 week stay for up to 10 guests.
• 5 -bedroom 5-bathroom home with private pool in the prestigious Windsor Hills resort in Orlando Florida.
• The living room has a 55 inch 3DTV with Bluray as well as an iPod universal dock to listen to tunes through the television.
• All of our bedrooms have flatscreen TVs and expensive mattresses for a good night’s sleep.
• The kitchen has 42 inch cabinets and granite countertops stocked with every item needed to cook a meal for a family of 10.
• Our air-conditioned games room features an 8-foot pool table, foosball, air hockey and darts and an XBox system with Kinect.
• When you’re done inside, head out the back door to our south west facing private pool. Or walk out the front door to a serene park with playground directly across the street.
• Photos & more details: http://windsorhillsluxury.com/
• Sponsors – @WindsorLuxury
• Starting bid: $100

#Lot13 – Arbonne Gift Basket ($200)

• Sponsors – @Arbonne_Canada

#Lot14 – Ohhh Canada’s Naughty or Nice Package ($270)

• Sponsors – @ohhh_canada

9:30-9:59pm Lots

#Lot15 – Restaurant-a-Month Prize ($650)

• Enjoy a different restaurant every month for 9 months! (alcohol, taxes & tip not generally included)

• Dinner for 2 at Luma
• $100 gift certificate from Linda Modern Thai
• $75 from Farm House Tavern
• Date Night Package for 2 from Red Fish
• Khao San Road Reservations Package including $50 gift certificate
• $50 gift certificates from:

• Caplansky’s
• Cava
• Fuel House

• Sponsors - @caplansky @cavachef  @FuelHouseTO  @lindaModernThai  @Oliver_Bonacini @FARMHOUSEtavern @cestwhattoronto @redfishresto @khaosanroadTO
• Starting bid: $50

#Lot16 – $100 Hailo credits

• Sponsors - @HailoToronto
  

#Lot17 –  Kraft Basket ($150)

• Sponsors – @MediaProfile @KraftCanada

 10:00-10:29pm Lots

#Lot18 –  Priceless Toronto Package ($200 )

• $150 in Ruby Watchco gift certificates
• a signed copy of Chef Lynn Crawford’s cookbook
  
• Sponsor - @MasterCardCA @RubyWatchco @Chef_lynn

#Lot19 – A day in Oak Recording Studio (8 hours) ($500)

• Oak Recording Studio for a day in the studio (8 hours)
• Sponsors - @oakrecordstudio

#Lot20 –LG Optimus G 2600 ($600)

• an Android LTE device, 4.7 TrueHD IPS display with Gorilla Glass 2, quad-core processor, 2600MHz LTE connectivity, and 2GB of RAM
• Sponsors – @RogersBuzz  @LGCanada

10:30-10:59pm Lots

#Lot21 - Molson Coors Beer fridge ($250)

• Sponsors - @MolsonCoorsCDA
  

#Lot22 - Gift Card for Solo Bace ($150) from Nzirambi Education Fund

• from Nzirambi Education Fund
  
• Sponsors - @SoloBace

#Lot23 - Artsocket “Condo District” ($400)

• “Condo District” stretched canvas print 50×32″
• Part of Seven Billion Ton online exhibit (custom size print)
  
• Sponsors – @artsocket

#Lot24 - Comedy Lover’s Gift Pack ($200)

• 2 Tickets for John Wing’s Had Enough Christmas? at Comedy Bar on December 20th
• 2 Tickets for a live recording of The Dork Forest podcast with guests Sean Cullen & Debra DiGiovanni on January 17th
• 2 Tickets for Jackie Kashian at Comedy Bar on January 18th
• 2 Tickets for Eugene Mirman at the Randolph Theatre on March 9th
• 2 Tickets for Janeane Garofalo at Comedy Bar on March 22nd
  
• Sponsors – @AtlasChugged

Bidding

Place a bid using the following tweet format:

@hohoto #LOT<lot number> $<your bid>  – <optional friendly note>

Here’s an example of bidding $150 for the Raptors vs Nets game:

@hohoto #LOT8 $150 -  I want to watch the Raptors crush the Nets!

Click here to read How to Bid in the Hangover Auction

We’re auctioning off  some great new prizes, the prizes that arrived late, and the small handful of unclaimed prizes left over  after Thursday’s massive, exhausting, and wonderful HoHoTO Holiday Party!

There are some exceptionally groovy goodies in this list‚ terrific last minute presents for a friend, loved one, family member, or just to treat yourself!

We’ll get to the list of auction items shortly, but first here’s how to be  a part of it!

Short version:

• Auctions starting every 30minutes from 2:30-3:00 and 8:00-10:30pm
• Bids must be placed using the following tweet format:
  @hohoto #LOT<lot number> $<your bid>  – <optional friendly note>
  Here’s an example of bidding $150 for Lot 8 – Raptors vs Nets game: 
  @hohoto #LOT8 $150 -  I want to watch the Raptors crush the Nets!
• Times are based on twitter-clock.
• All auctioneer decisions are final.
• if @hohoto gets locked by twitter, auctions will continue on  @hangoverauction

Long version:

• Tomorrow morning (Tuesday)  go to the blog and check out the list of Bid Lots
• From 2:30-3:30, and 8:00pm to 11:00pm, Tuesday Dec 18th get yourself onto Twitter
• Auction windows run for 30 minutes, and include 3 Lots so keep a close eye on the prize by following your hashtag lot number  (i.e the Lot number you want to win! e.g. #Lot3)
• Watch for the auction bid lots   to be announced as open on the @hohoto Twitter account (Now opening bidding on #Lot3);
• Start bidding!
  
• note: bids can ONLY be accepted in this format):
  @hohoto #LOT<lot number> $<your bid>  – <optional friendly note>
  e.g.  @hohoto #LOT8 $150 -  I want this prize so badly!
• Watch for other competitive bids, and try to win your favourite auction lot!
• Bidding closes firmly as the twitter clock rolls over to the next window (i.e. 8:29:59 bids will be accepted for 8:00 lots, 8:30 bids will not)

Rules and backgroundy details:

• Winners will be determined by the highest bid received at or before the time the relevant bidding window closes, based on the Twitter time stamp.
• Winners will be announced by the auctioneer on @hohoto
• The final decision of the auctioneers is FINAL!
• No late bids, no early bids will be accepted.
• No bidding via DM will be accepted.
• Bids must include Lot hashtag
• Bids must be in full dollars!
• Opening minimum bid on most items is $20 (higher where indicated); no maximum. Remember – every dollar goes direct to feed hungry people via Daily Bread Food Bank.
• Any items not bid on by the end of their allotted 30 minutes may be withdrawn and re-purposed for other charitable ends.
• Prizes must be claimed in Toronto and services-type prizes must be used in the Toronto-area

Just In Case:

• If for any reason the kind folks at Twitter decide we are tweeting too much from @hohoto, we will continue the auction at @hangoverauction

We’ll contact each winning bidder and arrange for payment and collection of your winning items (yes, we’ll need you to collect them‚ remember, the goal here is zero expenses, if possible. More money for the food bank that way).  Items must be collected within 2 months (preferably 6 days), or they will be re-purposed for other charitable ends.

All proceeds, as always, to Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank

So get your Twitter fingers ready!

Or did you miss out on #HoHoTO entirely but still want to help Daily Bread Food Bank?

Well the Hangover Auction is for you!

“What is the Hangover Auction” you ask?

The Hangover Auction is an auction on twitter where we auction off all the unclaimed raffle prizes to raise even more money for Daily Bread Food Bank!

This year, in addition to the unclaimed prizes from #HoHoTO  (including surprisingly the very popular Ruby WatchCo Priceless Toronto prize pack), we have reserved a couple of great prizes just for the Hangover Auction (TIFF Family membership, LG Optimus smartphone, the wildly popular Restaurant-a-month prize pack and much more!)

You don’t have to be in Toronto to participate since some of the prizes can be awarded electronically!

Later today we’ll announce the Auction Lots and share photos of each lot on twitter!  We’ll open each auction lot at the scheduled time, then just send your bids to @HoHoTO for the lots you want to win using their hashtags (e.g. #Lot3)!

So tell your friends and family Tuesday night is booked!  Pour yourself a drink. Put on your most comfortable lounge wear and settle in with your favourite tweeting device to join the fun!

The auctions are fast and furious, with bids flying in from all over twitter. Exciting competition, fantastic prizes, raising even more money for Daily Bread and you don’t even have to put on pants!

Watch @HoHoTO and #HangoverAuction for updates!

Spend $25 on tickets, get warm device-happy fingers for you and help feed a family of four!

Hello, HoHoTOers!

I’ve got good news for your cold-but-device-happy fingers AND your conscience: Rogers has partnered up with HoHoTO so that the first 100 people to find a Rogers team member after spending $25 or more on raffle tickets at the event will get a complimentary pair of device-friendly touch gloves! While supplies last of course, but there are 100 pairs!

Looking forward to seeing you all at HoHoTO tonight!

HomeStars more than doubled their donation of food and funds since they joined HoHoTO as a sponsor.

Sequentia Environics originally came on board with $500 sponsorship, and has just decided to up that to $1,000.

Today, we challenge our sponsors and sponsors-to-be to up your sponsorship levels!  We give you the party of parties, and you give the food to the hungry people of Toronto. Deal?

 <== HomeStars Christmas Tree

Our friends Homestars, Hailo, and Sapient are running food drives for HoHoTO and the Daily Bread. Hailo Toronto has made space for food donations at their office at 219 Queen Street East. Simply drop off your canned, non-perishable goods by Friday at 5pm, and Hailo will deliver them to the Mod Club in time for HoHoTO, in their spiffy Hailo yellow cabs.

SapientNitro started running a food drive way before food drives for HoHoTO became cool. We are grateful for your efforts and food offerings.

Ho-Ho-HomeStars Holiday Open House is on today!

28 of HomeStars excellent staff and over 100 guests come together for holiday snacks and Christmas cheer over here. All donations of non-perishable items will end up at the Daily Bread Food Bank. Thank you HomeStars for your non-perishable support of HoHoTO.

Thank you!

<== HomeStars’ HoHoTO Fundraising board.

As many of you know, I am one of the founders of HoHoTO – “the party that twitter built”. It wasn’t really built by twitter, but on twitter by a group of people who didn’t really even know each other.

It all started with a little tweet. A little spark of an idea, that one person took, modified and sent out to the ether. Another person replied, tweaking as they went. And then another. And another. (15 people.)  And then beers (many beers.) And then in what felt like no time (13 days) we filled the Virgin Mobile Mod Club and raised $25,000 for Daily Bread.

15 people, 13 days, an idea, an intention, a lot of disruption.  A desire to help make the world suck a little less, and a willing and active community of engaged people and companies.

We didn’t create this out of nothing. We didn’t do it alone. We did it with the passion and support of a huge community of people.  Some were there for the party. Some were there for the networking. Some were there for the prizes. But at some level, and in some way, we were all there for each other and for our community.

That’s what Daily Bread Food Bank and all the food banks are there for: their communities.  The people who work their asses off every day and can just barely make rent. The people who are feeding their kids first. The people who are going to bed hungry. The people who are trying to keep it together to make thing better and a single week or month or quarter of help from an organisation like Daily Bread is enough for them to make it. And keep their dignity.

Because that’s what we all want, isn’t it? A little dignity even when things are tough?

The people who use Daily Bread are our neighbours, our friends, our family, our community.

That’s what makes HoHoTO so special to me.  Watching my community, family, friends and neighbours all come together to support each other. Work together, create, inspire and disrupt each other until we find a way to make it work. To make it possible to give. To raise money to help the people in our community have the nourishment they need to work, create, inspire and disrupt and then turn around and help someone else.

So, if you are wondering what to do with that $20 in your pocket, donate it to HoHoTO

So, if you are wondering what to do Thursday night in Toronto, buy your ticket now and come on out to HoHoTO.  For $40 you party for a night, and they eat for a week. Besides, it’s going to be a kick-ass party!

Here’s a little look at our first year.

Oh ya, and since 2008, that final number of $25,000 has increased to be over $225,000!  Let’s see where HoHoTO 2012 leaves us!

1. HoHoTO Raffle

Come for the party, stay for the raffle prizes! There are  tech toys, phones, wine, restaurants, singing lessons, and even a beer fridge! Just waiting to be won.  We recommend making friends with the tallest person in the room: you get an arms-length of raffle tickets for $25 and another arms-length for $5 this year, as HoHoTO 5^th anniversary special. You’ll have to be in the room to claim your prize.  Get your raffle strategy on! Party and get your Christmas shopping done all in one magical night of fun holiday cheer.

2. Food

Please consider bring food donations with you – we will have food bins set up and ready.  Daily Bread told us that this year, food donations are more important than ever. Because food prices increased so much, even buying lots of food in bulk does not stretch their dollar as far as it used to. If you can, please pick up some baby formula, rice, canned beans, pasta, or tomato sauce on your way to this party. If you are running a food drive, let us know if there’s anything we can do to help, and how much food you got! We would love to feature your food drive on hohoto.ca – take some pics, too!

3. Photobooth is back! 

Rannie @photojunkie and his photobooth are making a comeback, hosted by our santa sponsor Virgin Mobile. Rannie makes everyone look like they’ve got it going on; luckily, this photoshoot comes at super affordable PWYC or a $2-$5 donation. Virgin will mobilize to make it extra special. Basically, these are not your typical party photos – these are the pics you might end up using for all your social media avatars, and will feel proud tagging on Facebook, or sending to your family and friends. Weeks after HoHoTO, Rannie’s pics still rule over our Twitter streams as avatars – we are not making this up.

4. Tickets, Go Green and Pretty Frocks

Believe it or not, but we are not sold out – yet! Now is the time to grab your ticket – this is not the party you want to miss! And if you were wondering what to wear for HoHoTO, check out Rent Frock Repeat, who will donate 10% to Daily Bread with every single rental. Now, here comes the Go Green part: Got your ticket on your phone? That’s awesome, and it’s the fastest way to get in.  Just show us your ticket, and you’ll get your hand stamped that special club stamp that takes a while to come off. Your memories could last a lifetime though.

5. Sponsors

Would you please take a look at all the fine and diverse companies that sponsor HoHoTO this year. Please give them love. Many of them stepped in on a short notice, many of them support HoHoTO for the first time, and many of them return year after year. That kind of generosity does not happen often, and when it does it really shows people in those organizations genuinely care about other people and want to give back to the community.  The least we could do is thank them for stepping up!  Read more about sponsorship opportunities – there’s still time to join HoHoTO as a sponsor.

HoHoTO Virgin Initiation

If you are coming to HoHoTO for the first time, here are the 5 Rules of HoHoTO:

• The first rule of HoHOTO is DO talk about HoHoTO – tweets are also cool with us, cause every time you tweet, someone gets to eat!
• What happens at HoHoTO stays at HoHoTO. Funny thing, you won’t even remember what happened at  HoHoTO yourself when we ask you a year later. We wonder why!
• About that dress code. There isn’t one. From glam dresses to ugly Christmas sweater, to your grandpa and grandma best, jeans and tshirt combo, to an elf costume – anything and everything goes.  Hell, you can even wear a wedding dress and we won’t judge! Especially if you sing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” – you may get extra raffle tix just for your panache
• Get your smile on! Cause this year, you get photoboothed, instagrammed, and treated like the VIP that you are. VIP stands for Very Important People. And photobooth is PWYC, suggested donations of $2 or $5
• Have fun and dance like you mean it! Let the bubbles rain, the music take you higher, get yourself some Molson, and please say hi to everyone.  Because often, people you know from Twitter don’t look like their own avatars!

Most of all, if this is not your first HoHoTO – introduce someone you don’t know to someone you know.  If you are a HoHoTO Virgin, we got one thing to say. Be mobile.

What makes this even more special? Michael’s kids attend this school. Michael co-founded HoHoTO, and his commitment to making the world suck a little less – HoHoTO’s catch phrase that he coined – lives on. These kids are amazing!

“At St. John we believe that everyone deserves a proper meal, especially on Christmas. Food is a necessity that every human deserves. It’s unfortunate that families have to worry about where they will be getting food from. HoHoTO has provided many people with food for the past few years. We wanted to support the HoHoTO because of the great work that they are doing in our city,” wrote Mosana and Connell, Grade 8, St. John Catholic Elementary.

St. John students are organizing dress down days in hopes of collecting $250 in donations for HoHoTO. Surely if the kids can do it, you can do it too.

From what we get, we can make a living. 
However, what we give, makes a life

HoHoTO is just six days away. Here’s three ways you can help:

We’re looking for sponsors. Are you able to step in and be our Mrs. Claus ($7,500) or Elf ($5,000) sponsor this year? How about a Reindeer ($2,000) or Snowflake ($1,000)? Your generosity could be your best marketing and hiring strategy yet.

We’re looking for raffle prizes. If sponsorship is not in the cards for you this year, how about donating great raffle prizes to HoHoTO? Ping @alexaclark or try sponsors@hohoto.ca.

We’re selling tickets. You party for one night, they eat for one week! Put this in perspective for a minute: $40 buys one decent dinner for two, or one movie outing for two. Maybe a t-shirt or two. That same $40 would feed a family for one week, and wouldn’t that be the best gift to give someone this holiday season?

Let’s come together to help the Daily Bread Food Bank — students at St. John are doing it with their jeans and hoodies. Can we count on you for support?

Follow @hohoto on Twitter