An autographed jersey from former Memphis Grizzlies player Mike Miller was one of the live auction items at the Bourbon & Blues Cocktail Party & Auction.
The jersey went for $2,300, says Jim Meeks, who founded the fundraiser with his wife Natalie. “And then Mike matched that. So, it actually brought in $4,600.”
Miller, a sports agent and former University of Memphis men’s basketball team assistant coach, and his wife Jennifer were among the 200 guests at the sold-out event, which also included a live auction of about 100 items. The silent auction featured “about 15 rare bottles of bourbon,” Meeks says.
The event, held November 21st, raised more than $70,000 for the Forrest Spence Fund, which assists with non-medical needs of critical or chronically-ill children and their families, and for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money for pediatric research.
Meeks, a managing partner at Northwestern Mutual, says he and his wife began the fundraiser on a smaller scale three years ago. The first two were held at Ghost River Brewing Co.
The event also included an open bar, a buffet, and music by Wyly Bigger and Jad Tariq.
