Go To Lunch With Santino Fontana

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 5:51am

....for a good cause. I came upon this entry in Charity Buzz. It's a site where celebrities offer a meet n greet to a winning bidder...all for their favorite charity. Santino is promoting the Transport Group Theatre Company (NYC).


Santino Fontana

Updated On: 12/8/14 at 05:51 AM

[xoffender45]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 12:56pm

From the fine print:
"Winner will select location and provide lunch for him/herself, his/her guest and Mr. Fontana."

Don't these charity auctions usually include the meal, or is it typical for the winner to have to buy the meal for themselves and the guest star?

[Susanswerphone]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 3:57am

No. Normally the "donor",(that is Mr. Fontana) picks the locale and "picks up the tab", which is sometimes comped by advance agreement between said donor and the restaurant chosen.
$1,500.00 estimated value. For what, exactly? His picture, signature and his time? To watch him eat food that you're paying for? Foolishness! It's not surprising that there are no bidders. Send the donation directly to Transport instead.

[mikem]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:41am

I think it's fairly common for the charity itself to pay for the lunch, either from a donation of goods by the restaurant or out of the winning bid.

The charity seems to have priced most of the lots at a $1500 value. I think they're trying to make it sound better by giving a high value, but that could backfire. The only part of the winning bid that is tax deductible is the part above the value (that part, as far as the IRS is concerned, is the part that's a charitable donation). Many charities try to minimize the value. For example, Broadway Cares prices all of its walk-ons as $0. (The walk-on packages often include tickets for additional guests, which are priced accordingly.)

[Xxxbroadway]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 12:35pm

I WOULD DIE TO HAVE LUNCH WITH SANTINO I LOVE HIM

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 2:12pm

Apparently you don't have to die - you just have to place a bid, since there are no bids currently.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 2:39pm

Oh some Park Avenue Daddy will have no clue what to gift his Silver Spoon spoiled brat child and he will drop the winning bid like it was a first class ticket without batting an eye.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 5:19pm

I opted instead to bid for dinner with Bobby Cannavale and Jeremy Shamos. Figured the two of them would make for a fun night of conversation, but the price quickly exceeded my max.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 8:32pm

Actors! Have you ever eaten with one of them?