Smashing Success! The First Annual Benicia Education Foundation’s Parade of Pigs 4 Kids was a smashing success. The party at Artcentric Studio Friday night was filled with excitement as people waited to see if they won their favorite pig. The community was invited to come between 5:30 and 7:30 PM to enjoy food & drinks and see the parade lined up together for the last time. Bidding closed at 7:00 PM.
There were artists there to see how much their pig went for and get a glimpse of who was going to take it home. There were “secret bids” in several pigs to keep the excitement going. And of course, there was a lot of mingling and enjoying the success of what is sure to be an annual event. The winning bids ranged from $45 to $500 brining the total income of the event to around $4,000. Some merchants such as ABC Music and Randy’s Mexican Restaurant bought back the pig that they hosted, another was purchased by the artist’s family, but the majority were sold to people that just wanted one of these cute works of art to add to their collection and show their support to Benicia students. Being a new event the BEF had no idea what to expect, but the enthusiasm, creativity and income for the event far exceeded their expectations. Next year’s Parade of Pigs 4 Kids will be open to anyone that wants to apply to design a pig. Applications will be at Artcentric starting in August so put those creative wheels in motion. There will be another 20 pigs marching out for the 2011/2012 school year to help bring in critically needed funds to keep Benicia schools great. BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED! | 
