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Sarasota School's Fundraiser Auction Goods Stolen

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LATISHA R. GRAY

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: February 21, 2008

SARASOTA — New Gate School headmaster Paul Wenninger said it was an instant heartbreak to learn that someone stole nearly every item for an upcoming silent auction.

Everything was gone -- the Martha Stewart cookbook, the Lou Piniella autographed baseball, the Tampa Bay Lightning VIP tickets, the Hooked on Phonics books, even the calendar from the Smithsonian Institution.

"Who would steal from a school?" Wenninger said. "It isn't just the worth of the items that make them of value, it's the emotional aspect."

Authorities said the burglary happened between Thursday and Monday, a little more than a week before the auction.

They estimate the value of the stolen items to be more than $3,000, including big-ticket things like an Xbox video game system, digital recorder and gift certificates. The items were stored in a shed, and one of the windows had been left unlocked, according to sheriff's reports.

The burglar removed the screen and left through the front door of the shed, which faces Ashton Road.

The silent auction takes several months to plan and in the past has generated as much as $100,000 for scholarships to the private school, financial aid and teacher salaries. About 250 students, from pre-kindergarten to high school seniors, attend one of the two New Gate campuses.

Students, teachers and parents have donated new items to be auctioned off, and the event will still be held on March 1, Wenninger said.

"The good people took responsibility for what this bad guy did," Wenninger said. "You can't get sidetracked. Someone's poor behavior is not going to mess this up."

Anyone with information about the thefts should call the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office at (941) 365-8247.

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