Upping The Ante

The biggest surprise at the Advertising Club of Greater Boston’s 23rd annual auction was not the record-setting amount of money raised or the increase in attendance. It was the antics of one guest.
Bernie Willett, manager of sales promotion for American Airlines, donated a first-class pair of tickets to any destination the airline flies. Once the bidding started, Willett couldn’t help himself. He threw in another set of tickets. And the generosity didn’t stop there.
For every auction package that included an American Airlines ticket, Willett upped the seat level or added more tickets, according to astonished event chair Hilary Wheeler.
Other prizes included a round of golf at different clubs with four of the city’s top agency executives (purchased by auction chair Steve Sullivan for $2,500); a stay on Nantucket with entry to the Nantucket Film Festival (picked up by Don Carlin for $2,900); and a trip to New York with...