ATLANTA — The nonprofit Carter Center raised $3,524,890 at its annual Carter Center Weekend Auction on June 30, held this year at Skamania Lodge in Washington state. All proceeds will benefit the Center’s ongoing efforts to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope in the world’s poorest and most forgotten countries. In addition to the auction totals, $600,000 was raised at the event for the Carter Center Mental Health Program and $75,000 for the Access to Information Program, bringing the grand total of the weekend to $4.2 million dollars raised.
The 200-plus items in this year’s silent and live auction included fine art, dream vacations, and priceless memorabilia. The highest bid was for an original oil painting by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, “Rachel and Cotton,” which sold for $600,000.
“Rosalynn and I extend our deepest gratitude to all the supporters who contributed to this successful auction,” Carter said. “Their generosity enables The Carter Center to continue advancing peace and health globally.”
Other items that drew top bids in this year’s auction included:
• A collection of images, some signed by Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon: $400,000
• Memorabilia of President Carter’s mother, Lillian Carter: $250,000
• A guitar autographed by rock legends Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: $135,000
• A handmade Appalachian ladder back rocking chair by woodworker Russ Filbeck: $100,000
• A golf excursion at the Olympic Club in San Francisco: $100,000
• An original quill signature of President Abraham Lincoln with family lithograph: $95,000
• A photo of five U.S. presidents signed by each: $90,000