Porcupine Auction

To Benefit the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund

The annual Circles of Life Conference for Wisconsin families who have a child with disabilities is fast approaching. This year’s conference will again include a Porcupine Auction to raise money for the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund. This fund was founded in 1992 by John Shaw in memory of his Grandmother. Over the years, the fund has distributed over $6,000 in scholarships to 70 families who would otherwise not be able to attend the Wisconsin Families Conference.

Families of children with disabilities often need information and training beyond what many communities can offer. The yearly Circles of Life conference gives families an important and rare opportunity to hear about services and resources, and a chance to learn new skills. In addition, attending this conference gives families the ability to connect with other families who are in similar circumstances. Without the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund, many Wisconsin families would not be able to afford the cost of attending this conference.

The Porcupine Auction is based on a concept imported from upstate New York. Here is how it works: Participants buy tickets. They "bid" on an item they want by placing tickets into a container associated with that item. At the end of the day, a winning ticket is drawn for each item.

If you have items to donate or questions about the auction, please contact Linda Rowley at 608-263-5973, rowley@waisman.wisc.edu or bring them to the Circles of Life conference with you.

The Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund is a 501 ( c) (3) charitable non-profit organization.