Dream for Damian

Amazon's Kindle is the bestselling wireless reading device with enough storage to hold up to 3,500 books. Features include: Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology. Item also includes a stylish black genuine leather exterior case to protect your Kindle. The new Kindle is lighter, thinner, quicker and more stylish than ever before! Item details at Amazon.com. a $165 total value.

Donor: Quynh and Julian Sell

Minimum Bid: $90.00

The Deuter Futura 32 pack is perfectly sized and equipped for long day trips and quick weekend getaways. Contoured, padded shoulder straps are lined with breezy air-mesh for breathability; they also feature "load lifter" stabilizing straps for ideal positioning of the pack. Patented Aircomfort suspension features a tight, hammock-like panel of mesh that allows warm air to escape and fresh air to circulate between the pack and wearer. Suspension consists of spring-steel frame that is flexible and light, and tensioned to support the suspended mesh for ventilation. Soft, bilaminate hip pads and hip belt wrap your body, stabilizing and controlling lateral pack movement on the go. Backpack has plenty of room for essentials. Hydration-compatible design features a 3-liter reservoir pocket and drink tube exit port for on-the-go hydration. Side compression straps let you cinch down loads for jostle-free carrying. The Deuter Futura 32 pack features a built-in raincover that can be pulled out in a flash, protecting contents from sudden downpours.

Note: Fits torsos: 14-½ to 20", $135 value.

Donor: Anonymous

Minimum Bid: $75

The Connecticut Forest & Park Association protects forests, parks, walking trails, and open spaces for future generations by connecting people to the land. CFPA directly involves individuals and families, educators, community leaders, and volunteers to enhance and defend Connecticut's rich natural heritage.

The CFPA maintains over 800 miles of (mostly blue-blazed) trails throughout Connecticut. As part of CT Museum Quest, Damian’s dad is hiking all 800+ miles of them and enjoying every single one.

The gift pack includes both the East and West Walk Books (a $50 value), a handsome CFPA hat and a WalkCT compass whistle. The Walk Books are invaluable to anyone wanting to explore Connecticut’s trails!

Donor: Connecticut Forest and Park Association

Minimum Bid: $25.00

The Right Touch of Connecticut’s mission is to promote health and wellness through massage and bodywork in a professional, ethical, and safe environment. We integrate a wide spectrum of techniques specifically tailored to your needs with a commitment to continual education and training in order to deliver superior service. The Right Touch of Connecticut's signature massage can be applied with light, medium or deep pressure and is great for relief from stress and anxiety; or to relieve nasty knots and chronic pain. Here we can use soothing strokes to ease sore muscles, or we can use more advanced techniques such as myofacial release, deep friction, trigger point release, and stretching to address your specific pain issues.

Notes: Gratuity is not included with gift card. Massage duration may be extended when making appointment.

Donor: The Right Touch of Connecticut

Minimum Bid: $25.00

What more could a kid ask for? Throw your child a Fidelco Party for up to 10 children. The parents or guardian of the birthday boy or girl provide the cake and we supply everything else: the puppy/dog fun, pizza, drinks, and goodie bags for all party guests—with a special surprise for the birthday boy/girl. Fidelco tries to schedule the parties when they have puppies available between 6-8 weeks old. If someone wants to have a party for their child when we have no puppies available, the options are to either reschedule the party for when we have the puppies, or we provide guide dogs in training to play with the children—but there is always a puppy/dog fun component to each party.

Since Fidelco provides everything but the cake, we’ve taken care of that for you with a $50 gift certificate for Classic Cakes! The owner/baker/creator is Carol Murdock – veteran of Food Network Challenge shows and friend of Duff Goldman, Carol’s custom cakes are true works of art.

The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation is dedicated to promoting increased independence to men and women who are blind by providing them with the highest quality guide dogs. This is a unique and fun idea for any child’s party! Party valued at $200.

Fidelco is located in Bloomfield. The party must take place at their building.

Donors: Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and Classic Cakes

Minimum Bid: $125.00

Central Wheel of Farmington is one of the area's top bicycle shops. On the edge of the beautiful West Hartford Reservoir lies Central Wheel. CW is dedicated to helping cyclists and triathletes find the right bicycle and accessories and our ability to deliver effective advice comes from decades of experience. There's nothing like getting your bike tuned up by the best (a $65 value).

Donor: Central Wheel

Minimum Bid: $35.00

It's never too early to get into the Christmas spirit! Family owned Karabin Farms in Southington will take care of your tree - up to 10 feet tall - grown at their 10-acre Christmas tree farm! You can choose one from their pre-cut selection or opt for a "Cut Your Own Christmas Tree Wagon" ride which will run weekends only (weather permitting) starting Saturday, November 27th. Karabin Farms also features a pick-your-own apple orchard, four greenhouses, and a new store area. Besides fresh fruit and vegetables, they offer local honey, maple syrup, jams, pickles, soup mixes, and gourmet treats such as Crowley Cheese, the oldest cheese-maker in America! Karabin Farms has seasonal hay rides for you and your kids too!

Trees are available at the store starting November 25th.

Donor: Karabin Farms

Minimum Bid: $25.00

Not just a nursery! Bring the kids and spend a while walking the beautiful grounds of Gledhill Nursery. Walk the Discovery Nature Trail, enjoy the outdoor train set and relax in the pondside gazebo. (This is one of Damian's favorite places to explore, as it's literally in our backyard.) Gledhill carries a large selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, houseplants, and water plants, as well as fertilizers, soil, bark products, and other bagged goods. They also carry a wide variety of pottery and statuary. The air conditioned garden center building carries a varied assortment of garden products and gift selections. Be sure to also visit during the Christmas season for Christmas trees, wreaths, and holiday decorations and gifts.

Donor: Gledhill Nursery

Minimum Bid: $35.00

The Wildflower Inn is an award winning Vermont Country Resort with a passion for making your vacation experience better than you could have ever expected. The Wildflower Inn's village-like resort is located on 570 pristine acres in Lyndonville, a town nestled in the heart of the the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. This two-night stay has no seasonal restrictions and includes breakfast and all taxes as well! Pamper yourself and a loved-one with a weekend in the heart of beautiful Vermont - no matter the season! This package is valued at over $400!

Advance reservations required.

Donor: The Wildflower Inn

Minimum Bid: $150.00

Do you really need any explanation for this item? Didn't think so. Two passes good for a full day's fun at any Disney Theme Park - and they don't expire until the end of 2030! Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom... Pick your favorite! These passes ARE transferable (from me to you and from you to whomever). Currently a $160 value; who knows how much in 20 years!

Donor: Stephen and Hoang Wood

Minimum Bid: $80.00

Now is your chance to own a large-format Kevin Van Aelst print (# 4610 of 5000)! Kevin's stylized photographs are simply amazing - never touched by any editing software and astoundingly creative. You've seen Kevin's commissioned photos in The New York Times Magazine, Boston Globe, GQ, BusinessWeek, Time, Scientific American, Wired and many more. The framed print Kevin donated is "Driving at Night", 2009, digital c-print, 24 x 36, which he sells unframed for over $500.00.

Donor: Kevin Van Aelst

Minimum Bid: $150.00

Real Art Ways is one of the United States' leading innovative contemporary arts organizations, with programs in Visual Arts (commissioned public projects, curated exhibitions, education), Live Arts (innovative music of all kinds, performance, spoken word) and Film and Video (feature films and artists' videos). RAW's cinema shows a wide array of movies from the US and around the world that are provocative, entertaining, thought-provoking, cutting edge - and always awesome. With these four movie tickets, you'll enjoy some popcorn and soda as well (a $50.00 total value). Before and after the movies, you are welcome to stroll through the art galleries at RAW as well.

Donor: Real Art Ways

Minimum Bid: $25.00

Every parent knows Melissa & Doug. Their unique and iconic learning toys are highly sought after and prized. From puzzles to puppets, plush to play food, magnetic activities, music and more, Melissa & Doug is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of educational toys and children's products. This massive gift box contains 14 items ranging from puzzles to pirate chests and stained glass sets. (For a complete list, you can contact Steve. The full list will also be available the night of the event.) The value of this item is $125.00.

Donor: Melissa & Doug

Minimum Bid: $60.00

Hoyt's Simsbury Cinema is our favorite chain theater, bar none. Why? Because this particular theater sponsors a wonderful program every few months for special needs families like ours. They show a children's movie at 9AM on a Saturday with the sound turned down and the house lights turned up for those with sensory issues. Even better, kids like Damian are free to be themselves; wandering around, dancing, and yelling out. We love this program and we love that they've donated four movie passes to our cause as well - an over $50.00 value.

Donor: Hoyt's Simsbury Cinema

Minimum Bid: $25.00

Everyone loves candles! They make a room smell nice, set a mood, and allow you to navigate your home after Hurricane Irene. Here's your chance to score a whole bunch of the highest quality candles available - PartyLite candles! This massive PartyLite gift basket contains over $100 worth of various types of candles. The gift basket includes: A dozen Seaside Mist tealights, a dozen votives of various scents, 2 differently scented mini barrel jars, a 3"x6" spiced vanilla pillar, an Ocean Mist jar candle and another giant 16 piece votive sampler of different scents.

Donor: Suzi Reno

Minimum Bid: $40.00

Do you have a little girl in your life who loves Barbie dolls? Or maybe you're older but still have fond memories of them. Bid on one or both of these prints (see item 117) of Barbie dolls from the extremely popular Barbie Basics Collection. Barbie Basics was a limited edition line of dolls targeted for fashion-forward girls and adult collectors. Each 11"x14" print is framed in a 16"x20" glass front frame and double white acid free shadow mat with a white core. Framed prints would look fantastic in any girl’s bedroom or playroom as well on the walls of any adult room!

Professional photographer Ileana Garcia Jacolow is a New York-based photographer who gets the credit for the great pictures of Damian on this site!

Donor: Ileana Garcia Jacolow

Minimum Bid: $50.00

Do you have a little girl in your life who loves Barbie dolls? Or maybe you're older but still have fond memories of them. Bid on one or both of these prints (see item 116) of Barbie dolls from the extremely popular Barbie Basics Collection. Barbie Basics was a limited edition line of dolls targeted for fashion-forward girls and adult collectors. Each 11x14 print is framed in a 16x20 glass front frame and double white acid free shadow mat with a white core. Framed prints would look fantastic in any girl’s bedroom or playroom as well on the walls of any adult room!

Professional photographer Ileana Garcia Jacolow is a New York-based photographer who gets the credit for the great pictures of Damian on this site!

Donor: Ileana Garcia Jacolow

Minimum Bid: $50.00

Are you often thinking that you’d like to have some great photos taken of your children and family? Take this opportunity to bid on a private photo session with portrait photographer Ileana Garcia Jacolow - the incredible talent behind the pictures of Damian on this website! This is a great idea just before the holidays as well. You can share the photos with your family and friends with beautiful holiday cards using the images from your session, give framed prints as gifts to grandparents or family members, make some memorable photo books... The possibilities are endless! You can even give the session as a gift to a loved one.

Ileana is extremely adept in engaging her subjects so that their true personalities shine through. (Ileana's pictures of Damian on this site were completely impromptu and editorial. They are the absolute best pictures of him we've ever seen.) Package includes initial phone consultation, sitting fee, link to your personal photo gallery where you can review proofs, five fully edited jpeg files to use for photo cards or other, and two 8x10 prints. This package is valued over $350.

Note: For local shoots at your house or favorite place, you must live within 40 miles of White Plains, NY. If that doesn't work, you must be willing to drive to White Plains for the session or to a location within 40 miles of photographer. It's worth it.

Donor: Ileana Garcia Jacolow

Minimum Bid: $150.00

Sure, this item will only appeal to a narrow band of families - but that narrow band is OUR band and this is a great item for us to be able to offer. Facing the future is sometimes difficult and it's all the more difficult when a familiy member has special needs. Being financially responsible for a child or other family member for life (rather than just 18 years or so) is a hard reality to face sometimes. We are huge promoters of working with financial planners who specialize in special needs planning. Setting up the best possible life insurance policies for you and yours, a special needs trust and all the attendant legal documents is paramount. Now, through a generous donation from the Barnum Group, you can give yourself the kick in the pants you've been waiting for - a $250 discount on the legal services of Michael Keenan, Esq.

If this item is something that you are interested in, representatives from the Barnum Group will be at the event - and I couldn't be more serious when I say that you should, at the very least, say hello and pick up their literature.

Donor: The Barnum Group

Minimum Bid: $50.00

This Viore 19" LED-LCD HDTV features an integrated ATSC TV tuner for HDTV broadcast reception. Get beautiful color depth with a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1. It has an HDMI input for a true digital connection and a VGA port for connecting to your PC. This super thin TV is perfect for a bedroom, a guestroom or your bar (It would pair well there with Item 121). No need to fixate on the giant TV's of today; get a smaller top quality TV like this one and enjoy it even more. Valued at around $140, Amazon reviewers rate this TV very highly.

Donor: The Barnum Group

Minimum Bid: $75.00

Channel your inner Connor (or Duncan) MacLeod with this highly sought-after Ten Penny Ale sword. Yes, it's a real (though not sharpened) sword! Dream for Damian and the SMS Research Foundation are peaceful organizations, so we cannot condone any usage other than hanging this beauty up above your bar or fireplace mantle for all your friends to ogle. And believe me, they will - With the awesome TV (item 120) and this sword (a $125 value if you could buy such things), you will have to coolest barroom in your town.

Donor: Olde Burnside Brewing Company

Minimum Bid: $60.00

Come cheer on the 2010 Big East Champion, 2011 Fiesta Bowl veterans, UConn Husky football team at beautiful Rentschler Field! There is not a bad seat at the Rent and though the team is rebuilding a bit, they are ALWAYS tough at home. Due to NCAA rules, we can't give specifics or even the physical tickets at this time, but the UConn Athletics Office has provided us with a gift certificate with which the winning bidder chooses 3 games and works it out with UConn directly as to which game you will attend. Home games include W. Michigan (10/1), Univ South Florida (10/15), Syracuse (11/05), Louisville (11/19) and Rutgers (11/26).

Thems the rules, folks. Still, a pretty darn cool item for them to provide us. If you're nice, I'll hook you up with some great tailgating friends as well.

Donor: University of Connecticut Athletics

Minimum Bid: $35.00

With Halloween just around the corner, it's a perfect time to bid on this item: It’s a Halloween party in a basket! Basket includes awesome decorative items like a Halloween candle sconce, spooky decorative owl figurines, a fun Fridge Ghost, and a Snoopy plushie dressed in a mummy costume and ready for trick-or-treating. Also includes holiday books and another Halloween holiday plushie for the kids. Total value of items is $75.

Donor: Hallmark

Minimum Bid: $30.00

This huge basket is perfect for any family with kids. There is too much stuff in it to list here; you'll have to see it for yourselves. Kids’ fun basket includes interactive books and Read-To-Me plush toys, a Hallmark piggy bank, paper, stickers, and toys. This item is valued at $75.

Donor: Hallmark

Minimum Bid: $30.00

Since you came to Dream for Damian, you deserve to be pampered. You are a good person. Go ahead, bid on this great item from Parisian Day Spa, which creates a unique experience for each individual by customizing services that fit your needs. They invite you to come in to rejuvenate your look & feel by visiting their creative hairstylist, massage therapists, aestheticians and manicurists.

Donor: Tara Cantor

Minimum Bid: $50.00

Remember when LEGOs were just LEGOs? Not anymore! They've come up with some incredibly fun and interesting products over the last decade or so, including the "World Racers" series. When LEGO gave these four separate items to me (Snake Canyon, Jagged Jaws Reef, Gator Swamp and Blizzard's Peak), it was hard for me not to rip them open myself. Total value of this package is $130 and I can't imagine any six to sixty-year-old who wouldn't love to get this as a gift.

Donor: LEGO

Minimum Bid: $55.00

Designer Ryan Kundrat creates modern and sophisticated works of wearable art. His jewelry lines for women range from the elegant to the edgy. For bid are earrings from his hoopla line which embraces clean lines and bright colors. Also included is a beautiful sterling silver necklace from the tink line. Tink has a more feminine approach as it utilizes delicately curved slivers of silver combined with pearls for a modern take on a traditional material. Together, the necklace and earrings are valued over $160.

Donor: Ryan Kundrat

Minimum Bid: $70.00

Have you been putting off that home improvement project for months? Years? Now you have no excuse - bid on this item: three hours worth of top-quality carpentry labor and home construction from Dallas Sherman Construction! Materials not included, but this is still a $150 value!

Donors: Dallas Sherman

Minimum Bid: $65.00

All of us parents have been there. (As Damian's parents, believe us, we KNOW.) Nothing to do, nowhere to go and your kids are bored. This giant gift basket will remedy that for more than one dreary weekend this fall and winter! Filled with great kids' art books, "Paint like the Master"s crafts, an art set, and other fun art activities! Basket includes two passes to the Wadsworth Atheneum to boot! Total value is $80.

Donor: Anonymous

Minimum Bid: $35.00

Worth every second of the drive out to Pomfret, Sharpe Hill Vineyard has received over 250 medals in international tastings and is just minutes from scenic Route 169 and the Putnam Antiques District. The on-premises Fireside Tavern restaurant is one of the top dining destinations in the state featuring the Creole Shrimp entrée, one of Connecticut Magazine’s recent “Fifty Dishes to Try Before you Die.” Sharpe Hill’s Ballet of Angels wine is the top selling New England wine - try it and you'll know why!

The Gift Card may be used in the wine tasting room, the restaurant, or both in combination. Reservations strongly recommended for dining.

Donor: Sharpe Hill Vineyards

Minimum Bid: $35.00

The best cheese in the state? Some say Cato Corner Farmstead cheese is the best in the entire region. Cato Corner Farm is a small family farm in Colchester where the mother-son team of Elizabeth and Mark raises 40 free-range Jersey cows without the use of hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics. From the cows' raw milk, Cato hand makes a dozen styles of aged farmhouse cheese ranging from mild and milky to runny and pungent to sharp and firm. The list of accolades these cheeses have won would fill this entire page - trust us, it's phenomenal cheese.

Donor: Cato Corner Farm

Minimum Bid: $35.00

Koji Restaurant and Lounge's Hartford location serves inspired modern Asian cuisine and specialty cocktails. In addition, Koji holds awesome happy hours and has a late night lounge scene that is one of the best in the city. As they say, "Step inside and be transported into a world where East meets West and glittering suns rise and set."

Donor: Koji Restaurant (Hartford)

Minimum Bid: $30.00

If you've never been to one of the most iconic restaurants in the state, now's your chance. "The Gris," as it's known, is the quintessential New England Inn. It has an incredibly rich history and has seen it all since it opened in 1776. The dining rooms each hold museum-quality artwork and historic guns. The food is incredibly delicious and you can enjoy it fireside while being entertained by local musicians. And after dinner, enjoy a stroll through Essex, one of the most bucolic town in all of New England.

Donor: The Griswold Inn

Minimum Bid: $30.00

Tapas was Tapas before tapas became cool. Perhaps that's why they veer from the tapas trend and serve a mix of Mediterranean cuisine, unique flatbreads and entrees that defy the expected. With three locations in Bloomfield, Hartford and West Hartford, Tapas is one of our family's "go-to's" on a regular basis. If you go to the Bloomfield location, say hello to Mike the Bartender from us!

Donors: Tapas and Mike the Bartender

Minimum Bid: $25.00

While the great guys at Olde Burnside Brewing have donated the beer for our event (please drink Ten Penny Ale all night, but drink responsibly), two other great breweries in the state have donated generously as well. This item includes a fresh (just bottled 9/9/11) case of Cavalry Brewing's signature Hatch Plug Ale. This is a classic English ale made with pale malt, crystal malt, Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops providing fruity aromas to work with the subtle malt flavors. Also, you and 7 of your friends can enjoy free passes ($40 value) to Thomas Hooker Brewing Company's famous tours with unlimited tastings! Handsome pint glasses from each brewery also included.

Must be over 21 to win this item.

Donors: Calvary Brewing Company and Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

Minimum Bid: $30.00

Are you or is someone you know a fine wine lover? Now's your chance to score one of the best bottles of wine you'll most likely ever enjoy: a 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Savignon from Napa Valley. Wine Advocate scored this vintage a 95 and says, "Still densely purple-colored, the 1997 exhibits wonderful plum, blackberry, cedar, spice and subtle smoky oak notes, a gorgeously opulent texture, full-bodied power and hints of roasted espresso and white chocolate in the flavors. This beauty can be drunk now and over the next 12-15+ years. One of the all-time great Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserves."

Must be over 21 to win this item. Bottle retails for $200.

Donor: Mike Cefole

Minimum Bid: $75.00

It sometimes surprises people that there are over 30 production vineyards in Connecticut. Now's your chance to visit five of the best with a stack of free tastings around the state. This package includes tastings at: Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford (4 free tastings), Sunset Meadow Vineyards in Goshen (4), Miranda Vinyard in Goshen (4), Haight-Brown Vineyards in Litchfield (2), and Connecticut Valley Winery in New Hartford (2).

Must be over 21 to win this item. Total value for all 16 tastings is over $120.

Donors: See 5 Vineyards above

Minimum Bid: $60.00

Bid on this item and if you win it, you won't have to rush out to the wine store at the last minute for a good long while. Because now you'll score 7 bottles of 181 Merlot and one bottle of 667 Pinot Noir. The 181 is a lavish expression of classic Bordeaux-style Merlot, bursting with plush tannins and sumptuous notes of black cherry, vanilla, stone fruit and toast. Flavors of currant and spicy cedar end with a lingering, luxurious finish. These wines are from clones of their French predecessor vines, hence their names. This item is valued at $140.00. We've also included four passes for free tastings at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, an additional $30 value!

Must be 21 to bid on this item.

Donor: Gillette Ridge Wine & Spirits

Minimum Bid: $70.00

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a wonderful place to visit with your family and friends. Spend an hour or the whole day and see more than 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Come learn about many endangered and threatened species, which include the Amur (Siberian) tiger, Andean condor, Ocelot, Red wolf, Andean (spectacled) bear, Maned wolf, and Golden lion tamarin. The zoo offers exciting events all year. View the calendar to learn about what's happening during your upcoming visit!

Donor: Connecticut Museum Quest

Minimum Bid: $25.00

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a wonderful place to visit with your family and friends. Spend an hour or the whole day and see more than 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Come learn about many endangered and threatened species, which include the Amur (Siberian) tiger, Andean condor, Ocelot, Red wolf, Andean (spectacled) bear, Maned wolf, and Golden lion tamarin. The zoo offers exciting events all year. View the calendar to learn about what's happening during your upcoming visit!

Donor: Connecticut Museum Quest

Minimum Bid: $25.00

The Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center is great: part modernized historical society museum, part impressive art museum, and part Button Museum. But enjoying a family membership gives you so much more - like access to 10 great art museums around CT, MA, ME and VT and events at the Mattatuck throughout the year.

Item also includes two passes to an upcoming Jazz First Thursday event - always a blast at the Mattatuck! Total package valued at over $100.

Donor: The Mattatuck Museum

Minimum Bid: $40.00

South Norwalk, known as SoNo to those in the know, is one of the most vibrant and family-friendly revitalized areas in our state. Now is your chance to explore two of the area's best attractions: Stepping Stones Museum for Children and the Maritime Aquarium. These are two of Damian's favorite places in the state and you and your kids are guaranteed to have a great day out at both. On offer are four passes to each place (over $100 value) and a $25 gift card to the family friendly SoNo Brewhouse - make a day of it and explore all that SoNo has to offer!

Visit Steve's Connecticut Museum Quest to read about Damian's visit to Stepping Stones Museum and Maritime Aquarium.

Donor: Stepping Stones and Connecticut Museum Quest

Minimum Bid: $50.00

Chances are that if you like the Connecticut Science Center, you'll also enjoy theNew England Air Museum. With 150 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art 3D digital theater, four educational labs, plus daily programs and events, the Connecticut Science Center offers endless exploration for children, teens and adults. Every part of science will be at a visitor's fingertips, from Physics to Forensics, Geology to Astronomy. Then, immerse yourself in the adventure, history and science of aviation at the New England Air Museum, New England’s largest aviation museum. During the weekend the Air Museum offers fun and engaging programs for all ages throughout the Museum’s three exhibit hangars.

These passes add up to a $90.00 value! This package includes 4 passes to the Science Center and 2 to the Air Museum. Do both in a day and become the coolest AND smartest family on your block!

Donor: NEAM and Hartford BID

Minimum Bid: $45.00

When it comes to Connecticut museums, there are certainly a few that stand out. One of them is the Smithsonian-aligned Mashantucket Pequot Museum. Now is your chance to check out one of the best cultural resources in the state with your family! It truly is beautiful and incredibly interesting - and let's not kid ourselves, since you'll probably hop over to the casino while you're down there, you'll feel much better about yourself knowing that you did something educational on your trip. A $60 value.

Donor: Mashantucket Pequot Museum

Minimum Bid: $30.00

October is around the corner - and what's more "October" than Harpoon Brewery's Octoberfest at their Windsor, Vermont brewery? Nothing. Less than 2 hours up I-91 from Hartford, this annual party includes fresh Harpoon beer, live oompah music and great German food! These four passes not only get you in the gate (a $60 value) but we've thrown in a TWELVE free beer tickets as well! This year's Octoberfest is on the 8th and 9th and you may attend either one of those days.

Donor: Harpoon Brewery

Minimum Bid: $60.00

October is around the corner - and what's more "October" than Harpoon Brewery's Octoberfest at their Windsor, Vermont brewery? Nothing. Less than 2 hours up I-91 from Hartford, this annual party includes fresh Harpoon beer, live oompah music and great German food! These four passes not only get you in the gate (a $60 value) but we've thrown in a TWELVE free beer tickets as well! This year's Octoberfest is on the 8th and 9th and you may attend either one of those days.

Donor: Harpoon Brewery

Minimum Bid: $60.00

What makes Action Wildlife so great? Their commitment to their animals with the utmost care and diligence. All their outdoor animals are suited for our Connecticut climate and each has plenty of room to roam. What's more, their indoor displays are some of the most impressive you'll ever see. Damian LOVES Action Wildlife and it's his "go-to" when his grandparents are visiting. Now you can see why yourself.

This package includes an adult Action Wildlife sweatshirt, a child's Action Wildlife sweatshirt, Four free passes to the park and a stuffed zebra! (Total value of $100)

Donor: Action Wildlife

Minimum Bid: $50.00

There are art museums and then there's the Wadsworth Atheneum. As you probably know, they were the first museum in America to begin collecting contemporary American art. But did you know that they were the first art museum to also have a theater? Or to collect surrealist art? This isn't just a museum membership; no, this is much, much more.

Reciprocal Membership to the Wadsworth Atheneum includes: Free general admission for two at any time to the museum (plus admission for immediate family members under 17 years of age, and two guests per visit), invitations to openings and special events, 10% discount in The Museum Shop and Cafe, discounts on lectures, films, family activities and workshops, and opportunities to join volunteer and special interest groups. This item also gets the winning bidder admission at 14 art museums across the country! Total value is $170.

Donors: The Wadsworth Atheneum

Minimum Bid: $80.00

Perhaps the most important cultural icon of Hartford's long history, Mark Twain was one of the city's biggest promoters in his day. Now, his house and museum is one of the biggest draws in the entire state. On the same Nook Farm property stands Harriet Beecher Stowe's former house along with the equally beautiful Katherine Seymour Day House. Now is your chance to tour all 3 properties! Two of America's greatest and most influential authors, Twain and Stowe, with legacies that will endure forever - all in one place on one day! (If you so choose.) This gift-pack includes four Twain House passes and two Stowe/Day house passes - an over $80 value!

Donors: Mark Twain House and Museum and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Minimum Bid: $35.00

Guaranteed fun and educational! You get to suggest the itinerary and general area of the state and CTMQ’s Steve will perfect it. Whatever you want to do: Museums, hiking, eating or really anything like you see on CTMQ. Bring your appreciation for history, hills and/or humor. Expect to be featured on CTMuseumQuest.com and to gain a fun and personal insight into the way Steve thinks about things many people inaccurately consider mundane. Experience Connecticut through the eyes of one of the state's most unique promoters and writers! Steve also happens to be Damian's father. So even if you have no idea what CT Museum Quest is, you should still bid on this item.

Lunch for up to two will be provided. Offer available anywhere in Connecticut. Date to be agreed upon by both parties at least one month prior to event.

Donor: Steve Wood

Minimum Bid: $100.00

Join Steve Wood (father of Damian) in an attempt to do something slightly crazy, kind of silly and definitely unique. This is something Steve has thought about doing for a while now and we’re pretty sure no one has attempted before. Heck, it may very well get us some press.

Beginning in either northeastern or northwestern Connecticut, we will attempt to reach the following extreme geographic points in the state in one day: The CT-RI-MA tri-point marker, the easternmost point of CT, the largest beach, CT’s only tombolo (depending on tide chart), southernmost point of CT (requires boat ride), westernmost point of CT, the largest lake in CT, the largest waterfall in CT, the deepest lake in CT, the highest point in CT, the CT-MA-NY tri-point and the northernmost point in CT.

In all, this excursion requires about 250 miles of driving with Steve (not including to and from the beginning and end of our day), early morning punctuality, and about 12-14 miles of total hiking, a few of which are steep and rugged. Please be in hiking shape and bring proper supplies. Meals may be on-the-go, but they will be provided. Bonus: A full day of endless tidbits about Connecticut that you never thought you wanted to know, but will be happy once you do. Prepare to become famous!

This excursion will occur sometime TBD between May-July 2012. Plenty of time to prepare mentally and physically. No more than a group of TWO please.

Donor: Steve Wood

Minimum Bid: $250.00

Have you ever wondered what food critics are thinking when they sit down to a meal at a top-tier restaurant? Now you and a guest have a chance to find out! AND stay two nights in a top-tier hotel to boot!

Rina Rapuano is a Washington, DC-based freelance writer who has written about food for The Washington Post and Gourmet magazine, among others. She currently writes restaurant reviews and food-related stories for Washingtonian magazine and is in the throes of research for the magazine's 100 Very Best Restaurants in DC, Maryland, and Virginia article. If you are the top bidder, you will enjoy dinner for you and your guest with Rina at a restaurant on her 100 Best Restaurant assignment list plus TWO nights at the Renaissance Dupont Circle, a Marriott hotel! (The two-night stay includes breakfast both mornings and is a $710 value.)

The meal will include three courses for each diner and a bottle of wine. (OK, maybe two.) Since the assignment is due October 25, 2011, bidders are asked to be able to travel to DC before then. Diners are also asked to be willing to share food, since she can't write about it if she doesn't taste it!

Travel to/from Washington DC not provided. If you win the item and cannot travel before 10/25/2011, other arrangements can be made with Rina to join her for a future dining assignment. The two-night hotel stay is good for a year, so you'll have time to sort it out. Total value of this package is about $900 depending on your meals.

Donor: Rina Rapuano, Marriott Hotels

Minimum Bid: $350.00

Everyone always says Damian and his baby brother Calvin are so cute. Everyone who has met Damian expresses how wonderful he is. Now is your chance to spend an evening with both of these charmers and better yet, allow their parents an all-too-rare night out. To see Steve and Hoang's joy upon returning home that night will be worth your ten-times the winning bid, let alone the endless fun a baby and a Damian will surely provide you for one short evening.

Note: It would be best that you actually know what you're getting into here. Date and time TBD.

Donor: You!

Minimum Bid: $50.00

Historian Brent M. Colley loves his part of the state and its role in the Revolutionary War. Join him for an expertly guided one-of-a-kind tour of the area. The main focus of this tour is the British Raid on Danbury in April of 1777. The tour begins in Westport at Compo Beach and from there we follow the route of the British Troops' march through Fairfield, Easton, Redding, Bethel, Danbury, Ridgebury, Ridgfield, Wilton, Weston and back to Westport.

Along the way, Brent will point out and discuss the areas of importance, noting what has changed and what has not changed over time. Several historically relevant stops will be made along the way including - but not limited to - Redding Ridge for lunch (provided), Putnam State Park, and Keeler Tavern (tour provided). You'll return to the starting point via a driving tour through Wilton, Weston and Westport to show how the British troops were able to outsmart the Americans on their retreat back to their boats.

About Your Guide: Brent M. Colley is a 5th generation native of Redding, Connecticut who has been documenting and promoting the history of Redding since 1998. Each Fall, he donates countless hours helping teachers and students from all over Connecticut better understand the early stages of the Revolutionary War here in Connecticut via bus tours that showcase Southwestern Connecticut’s role in the Revolutionary War.

Brent’s online resources related to this tour are located here, and further details will be provided at the event.

Tour dates will be coordinated with the guide, Brent M. Colley. Most Fall weekends are available; weekday tours will require advanced notice. The estimate value of this tour is $325.

Donor: Brent M. Colley

Minimum Bid: $100.00

You've known it's in Bristol and you probably have even driven by it. Haven't you always wished to get inside to tour it? Now you and up to 7 of your friends and family can! The tour consists of a guided walk of the main ESPN Campus. Included are visits to ESPN’s production centers, newsrooms, TV and radio studios (including the famous SportsCenter Studio). Depending on timing, tour members may also be able to visit the ESPN Café and ESPN Store. Who knows? You may run into one of your favorite ESPN on-air personalities like Stuart Scott. Boo-YA!

Tour may be taken on weekdays or weekends. At least a one-month advance notice is required. Tour will be coordinated through Steve Wood.

Donor: Ron Starrett

Minimum Bid: $200.00

A chance of a lifetime at Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum! The pioneering artist, musician, and poet, Patti Smith has made her mark on the American cultural landscape throughout her 40-year career, from her earliest explorations of artistic expression with friend and vanguard photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the 1960s and 70s to her profound influence on the nascent punk rock scene in the late 1970s and 80s.

And now is your chance to see her up close and personally on Thursday, October 20th to celebrate the opening of Patti Smith: Camera Solo with an intimate, one night only performance in the museum’s historic Aetna Theater.

Donor: Anonymous

Minimum Bid: $150.00

Here's your chance to enjoy a VIP tour of one of the few truly independent larger-scale local breweries left. Better yet, you needn't drive anywhere at all after your tour! The great crew up at Harpoon Brewery in Boston invites you to take a VIP Tour of their facility (with ample tastings) and then retire a short walk away at the beautiful Seaport Hotel for the night! Located on the Boston waterfront in the bustling Seaport District, the Seaport Hotel offers you luxury accommodations with dazzling city and harbor views and incredibly convenient access to all major points of interest including the Financial District, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and the North End.

And what the heck, enjoy an Unfiltered Beer Mix 12-pack from Harpoon!

Donor: Harpoon Brewery

Minimum Bid: $150.00

If you ever go to Westfarms Mall, you've probably noticed that brand new giant NBC30 studio building just off of I-84. And even if you haven't, you surely watched Brad Field, Ryan Hanrahan and the weather gang during Tropical Storm Irene since it was the only Hartford area station on-air that day. Or maybe you just pine for Gerry Brooks' old pencil mustache? Whatever your reason, a tour of the new studios sure seems like a very cool idea. So go ahead, bid on the item. Maybe you'll even get to walk around in the background of the newsroom during a broadcast.

Donors: Dave Michnowicz and WVIT

Minimum Bid: $60.00

This package is merely a suggestion. You needn’t use all this stuff in one night, but it sure sounds like fun to do so! Enjoy dinner for four at Agave – one of Hartford’s best and most talked about restaurants. This includes apps, dinner AND desserts for four people! This package also includes 2 tickets to the National Champion UConn vs. Fairfield University basketball game at the XL Center on December 22nd. However and whenever you use these items, you can relax and stay overnight at the downtown Hartford Hilton Hotel!

Note: Hotel subject to availability. Hotel stay for two. UConn tickets to be given at a later date (once they are available to season ticket holders!)

Donor: Hartford Restaurant Group, Richard and Julie Twilley, Hilton Hotels

Minimum Bid: $200.00

Economy got you down? Feeling frumpy? Win this item and enjoy the high life at least for one night. Dine at one of the Max restaurants with a $100 Gift card. (Can be used at any of their 8 restaurants.) Max Downtown is consistently rated the best restaurant in the city year after year. Both Max's Trumbull Kitchen and Max Downtown are less than a 5-minute walk from the beautiful state-of-the-art Hartford 21 condo complex in the heart of the city. After dinner, adjourn to a suite with views of the city and the hills beyond! Sit back, relax, sip a martini and enjoy some of the best that Hartford has to offer.

Donors: Max Restaurant Group and Hartford 21

Minimum Bid: $225.00

There are art museums and then there's the Wadsworth Atheneum. As you probably know, they were the first museum in America to begin collecting contemporary American art. Now is your chance to see this gem as only a VERY few people do!

Join the Associate Curator of American Decorative Arts or the Associate Curator of American Art of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on a tour of the newly reinstalled American art collections featuring the prized Wallace Nutting Pilgrim Century Furniture, Connecticut furniture, glass, ceramics, and silver, and Colt firearms OR of the Hudson River School Gallery and Patti Smith Exhibition. Guests will have the option of adding special tours based on exhibitions/events taking place at the time of the tour.

Limited to 8 people. This type of experience is valued at $750! We will do our best to accommodate the desired date and time of our tour, but exhibition opening dates are not available.

Donor: Wadsworth Atheneum

Minimum Bid: $150.00