Question: What do I wear?
Answer: This is a very casual party crowd. The only thing we ask is that you come & leave wearing clothes
*(jeans are most common)
Question: Where do I park?
Answer: Parking will be available at the El Rancho Drive-In. Please park your car and then proceed to the shuttle stop and you will be transported to and from the club when you are ready. *Limited handicap spaces are available on the side lots of the club
Question: Where does my money go?
Answer: To the boys and girls, of course. The Cioppino Feed is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and all of your ticket and auction item purchases go toward club operations to benefit the more than 14,000 kids we'll serve in 2020. Academic programs, leadership clubs, sports leagues...you name it! And all funds stay right here in northern Nevada. Cioppino proceeds represent about 15% of our annual budget, so thanks for your support.
Questions: How do I collect my items and pay?
Answer: You just head back to the Check-in/out terminals and have one of the ladies help you check-out. (Be sure to give them enough time to enter all the items...in other words don't go to see what you won at 6:30. Please wait until 7:00 pm). They will pull up your bidder number and provide you with a receipt. You WILL need that receipt to get out of the door. Pick up your item and head on out. In the beginning of the night when you check in you can put a credit card on file for quicker check-out. Otherwise you can pay with cash or check at the end of the night. *If your receipt claims that there is a certificate to pickup be sure to head to the certificate line to claim it.
Question: Is there really an open bar?
Answer: Yes. All night. And many, many cabs.
Question: How much does it cost to attend?
Answer: It is $2,000 for a table of eight. If you don't have that many friends, you are more than welcome to buy individual tickets at $250 each. But beware...you will leave with new friends. Some drunk, but who's judging?
Question: How do I bid on items?
Answer: When you arrive, just look for the check-in/out terminals. Here, our staff will collect your contact information and give you the all-important bidder number. This is your key to success. Write that number legibly on the items that you want and then watch the fun begin!
Silent & High-End Auctions: Both of these will open at 4:30 pm. Be sure to arrive on time so you have enough time to scope out all of the items. We usually house over 500 of them! Individual auction tables will close one-at-a-time beginning at 6:30. Make sure you stick around the tables with the items you want as they close to make sure you’re the winner. There are some really smart (and sneaky) cherry pickers!
Live Auction: When it comes time to bid on the live auction, all you have to do is learn how to stretch your arm really high in the air and get noticed. A spotter will find you and help you get your item. The live auction moves fast, so be sure to read through your program and decide what items you want to bid on ahead of time. If you do win, a runner will have you sign a bid sheet with your name and bidder number and it’s all yours!
Question: What's for dinner?
Answer: Cioppino is a seafood stew with a bunch of yummy creatures! Everything from crab, shrimp, clams, fish, and don't forget the polenta on the bottom, all drowned in a tomato-based wine sauce. But the best part of the whole thing (other than the crab legs) is that the cioppino comes from a secret recipe that has been made by our very own Colin Smith of Roundabout Catering. Served along our famous cioppino is an Italian bean salad, bread rolls and cheese and fruit platters. Plus, cookies and brownies for dessert!
*Sorry, we don't have a vegetarian option.
Question: I can't afford any of the auctions items... can I?
Answer: Actually you can! There is something for everyone. In our silent auction items you can find great deals on spa certificates and dinner dates. If you want to venture out more, there are very cool packages in our mobile auction where you can score an amazing trip or sports tickets. We also have a raffle. For only $10 per ticket you could be the lucky winner of over 100 prizes!
