Frequently Asked Questions

This year we are offering both an online auction and an in-person event.

The online auction opens on Monday, March 20, featuring items like trips, vacation homes, sporting events, entertainment, and much more like the Unique to Bear Creek experiences with our amazing teachers and staff. 

The online auction is free and open to all in the community, including parents, grandparents, alumni, and parents of alumni. Please share with friends and family! 

The in-person Gala dinner is on Saturday, March 25, at the Overlake Golf & Country Club in Medina, WA. 

Tickets for the event include a gourmet three course dinner and will be available to purchase starting March 1. Capacity for the event is limited, and we expect it to sell out quickly, so don't delay getting your seat!

In the meantime, you can browse auction items and register to participate. Visit the online auction website and click SIGN IN to register and add a credit card for purchasing tickets, bidding online, and checking in at our in-person event on March 25. 

If you have a fantastic item or experience you would like to donate, complete this online form or download this form and submit it to Jen Janison at jjanison@tbcs.org.

Follow these simple steps to sign in with your mobile phone:

• Text "BearCreek2023" to 243725.
• Follow the prompts from the texts received.
• Once registered, you will be redirected to the event page.

To register using a web browser, visit https://bidpal.net/bearcreek2023. Click SIGN IN at the top right of the page and create an account.

You can donate to invest in the transformation of our libraries at any time before and after Saturday, March 25, using the donation page on the event website. If you wish to remain anonymous or if you would like to make a pledge now and pay later via DAF or check, please email Mariana Keller at mkeller@tbcs.org.

You can also browse the online auction which opens on Monday, March 20, at 8:00 p.m. and place maximum bids on the items you want. Suppose you have a maximum spending limit for an auction package. In that case, you can set an auto-bid (max-bid) that will automatically increase your bids against competitors until it reaches your maximum limit. If your maximum limit is outbid, you will be notified by text message.

Anyone can participate on the online auction by signing up on the event website. We encourage you to share the link to the online auction with your friends and family.

Those who wish to attend the Gala dinner on Saturday, March 25, at Overlake Golf & Country Club need to purchase tickets. Tickets include a gourmet three-course dinner and will be available to purchase starting March 1. Capacity for the event is limited, and we expect it to sell out quickly, so don't delay getting your seat!

You must be at least 18 years old to bid on our online auction packages and at least 21 years old to bid on any alcohol-related auction package.

Yes, the event is open to all! Friends and family are welcome to join both the online auction and the in-person event. Please share the link to bidpal.net/bearcreek2023 with them. They can also text BEARCREEK2022 to 253472 to receive the link on their phones.

No ticket is needed to participate in the online auction! However, we encourage you to SIGN IN now to be able to bid on the amazing online auction items.

If you wish to attend the in-person event and enjoy a three-course gourmet dinner, you must purchase a ticket. The fun evening will feature performances from our Upper School Jazz Band and Concert Choir, messages from our students, teachers, and alumni, a live auction with unique experiences, and the Fund-a-Need that this year will help us transform Bear Creek's libraries into innovative literacy and learning centers.

Tickets will be available for purchase starting March 1. We expect the event to sell out quickly, so don't delay getting your seat!

Check Your Activity at any time to see all the items you have bids on, the items on which you were outbid, and items still available for bidding. When the auction closes, Your Activity will show you the items you won.

No. You can preview all the auction items before you sign in. You can also SIGN IN and create an account when you are ready to bid.

You can bid from any device by simply signing in using your account information. Please note: if your device is not a phone that can receive a text message, you will not receive outbid texts.

Watch this video to learn more:

No. The auction platform is a mobile-ready website. Just SIGN IN, browse the items, and start bidding.

Watch this video to learn more:

Once you have signed in to create an account, you can select Online Auction, and click on the item to start bidding! You can bid the next increment, set a max bid, or simply "watch" the item. The online auction opens at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20.

If you bid on an item, you will receive an "outbid" text, so that you know when someone has trumped your bid. You can bid again with just a click to make sure you get that favorite package!

You can set a "max bid" amount on any item you wish, and the system will automatically bid in increments for you up until your max bid is reached. If you get outbid on your max bid, you will receive a text, and you can go back and bid again.

You can watch your selected items and see all your bids easily in Your Activity.

When the auction closes, your credit card will be automatically charged for the items on which you are the winning bidder. You don’t need to do anything further because you provided your credit card number when you created your account.

Alternately, you can pay by check to eliminate the 3% credit card fee expense. Please email us if you would like to pay by check.

If you bid on an item that is an experience or gift certificate, we will send the gift card, certificate, or instructions to redeem the experience to you via U.S. mail. If it is a tangible item, we can arrange for you to pick it up from the school.

If you have any questions or concerns about bidding or technical problems, it’s easy to get help. Please note that we will be actively monitoring these help options on an ongoing basis on Saturday, March 25.

1. From the online auction site, click the Contact Us button, complete the form, and someone will respond right away,
2. Email philanthropy@tbcs.org.

If you make a donation, your contribution is tax-deductible, as allowed by law. The amount paid for an item above fair market value is also tax-deductible.

Acknowledgment letters and tax receipts will be emailed following the event. If you would like to request the acknowledgment by mail, please contact Kasse Guptill at kguptill@tbcs.org.