Desert_Seg
04-10-2006, 04:25 AM
Last night we had the opportunity to be an active participant at the White Stick Charity ball (www.whitestickdubai.com), an event held for two purposes:
1. To support two charities that aid the blind (Tamkeen) and the physically or mentally handicapped (Able UAE)
2. To promote the benefits that physically or mentally handicapped persons can bring to society.
We donated one (1) Segway of the winner's choice (i180 or XT only) which was then auctioned off by Sotheby's in a "blind" auction, whereby the bidders only had verbal hints as to what was being offered for sale.
Verbal clues offered included:
- You can play polo on it
- You can go shopping on it
- Two wheeled, auto balanced
- Will revolutionize the way you see the world
- Will change how you move around
- Eco friendly transportation
- Donated by Segway of UAE (I thought this was a dead giveaway)
The winning bid was only $6,000 (I was hoping for more) but after the picture of an XT was shown, you could hear a lot of oohs and aahs, and more than on person stated that if they had know that is what a Segway was they would have bid! (this let me know I need to get the Segway name in the press more)
Regardless, I think we achieved a first....according to Sotheby's this was the first Segway they had every auctioned!
We may also have achieved another first because I found out at the dinner that the one of the sighted persons who leads Tamkeen, who is also an avid Segway believer, has actually put some of his blind team on the Segway...something that made me wince inside until I heard one of those who had ridden it just gushing!
But, more importantly, we helped raise in excess of $150,000 for these great organizations.
Steven
1. To support two charities that aid the blind (Tamkeen) and the physically or mentally handicapped (Able UAE)
2. To promote the benefits that physically or mentally handicapped persons can bring to society.
We donated one (1) Segway of the winner's choice (i180 or XT only) which was then auctioned off by Sotheby's in a "blind" auction, whereby the bidders only had verbal hints as to what was being offered for sale.
Verbal clues offered included:
- You can play polo on it
- You can go shopping on it
- Two wheeled, auto balanced
- Will revolutionize the way you see the world
- Will change how you move around
- Eco friendly transportation
- Donated by Segway of UAE (I thought this was a dead giveaway)
The winning bid was only $6,000 (I was hoping for more) but after the picture of an XT was shown, you could hear a lot of oohs and aahs, and more than on person stated that if they had know that is what a Segway was they would have bid! (this let me know I need to get the Segway name in the press more)
Regardless, I think we achieved a first....according to Sotheby's this was the first Segway they had every auctioned!
We may also have achieved another first because I found out at the dinner that the one of the sighted persons who leads Tamkeen, who is also an avid Segway believer, has actually put some of his blind team on the Segway...something that made me wince inside until I heard one of those who had ridden it just gushing!
But, more importantly, we helped raise in excess of $150,000 for these great organizations.
Steven