This Year's Benefit Auction Offers the 2016 Toyota Prius Two Hybrid

Large or small, one-time or recurring, individual donations are the largest source of financial support for Rhode Island PBS. The station hosts a variety of fund raising events throughout the year to boost opportunities to donate and to offer fun and rewards to you for your loyal support. Among the favorite events each year is the annual Benefit Auction, which, for almost 20 years, has featured a vehicle donated by your New England Toyota Dealer.

This year’s Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction features the 2016 Toyota Prius Two Hybrid. If you are in the market for a car, this fun-to-drive vehicle is loaded with standard features, is technologically advanced, safe, and environmentally friendly. Put yourself behind the wheel of this car by being the winning high bidder. Plus, you know your winning high bid supports the shows you love to watch on Rhode Island PBS. Win-Win!

Poldark and Sherlock on Masterpiece, Great Performances at The Met, Doc Martin, Call the Midwife, Antiques Roadshow. These and so many other national and local programs and series are the shows you tell us you love to watch week after week on Rhode Island PBS. These shows are only possible thanks to financial support from you and public television viewers like you.

The Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction opens on Monday, October 3 and closes on Sunday, October 23 at 8 p.m.

Let us know if you have any questions. Spread the word about the Benefit Auction to your family and friends, especially those looking for a new set of wheels! Thank you for your support.

2015 Benefit Auction Opens October 5

Downton Abbey on Masterpiece, Great Performances at The Met, Doc Martin, Antiques Roadshow. These and so many other national and local programs you and fellow public television viewers love to watch day after day, week after week on WSBE Rhode Island PBS are supported by donations from you and viewers like you.


Large or small, one-time or recurring, individual donations are the largest source of support for Rhode Island PBS. Every year, the station hosts a variety of fund raising events to boost support opportunities and to offer fun and rewards to viewers for their loyal support. Among the favorite events each year is the annual Benefit Auction, which, for the past 15 years, has featured a vehicle donated by your New England Toyota Dealers.

This year’s Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction features the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE. If you're in the market for a new car, put yourself behind the wheel of this fuel-efficient sporty sedan by being the winning high bidder.

The Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction also features three works of original art. Make a bold statement by choosing one or more of these pieces for home or office. Two are framed oil on canvas, signed and dated by artist John Eyre (1935-2007). One measures 38” x 38” and features purples, blues, black and white. The brilliant colors and extra large size of 50” x 74” of the second Eyre work make it an excellent choice for display in a company lobby or hung in a home with high ceilings. The third artwork is untitled and unsigned mixed media encaustic wax and oil on a 48” x 48” panel.

And if the sea is calling and you’re looking for a great winter project while you wait for next summer, set your heart and your sights on restoring a vintage 1967 O’Day Rhodes 19. The sea-worthy vessel includes mainsail and jib, plus LoadRite trailer.

You are invited to call us and come to the Rhode Island PBS studios between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday before the auction closes to inspect the artwork or the sail boat up close before you bid.

The Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction opens on Monday, October 5 and closes on Sunday, October 25. Closing times are different for each item, so please check the listings on the auction site for the precise closing time for your favorite item.

Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your support!

updated October 5, 2015

Are You on the Watch List? (Benefit Auction Closes Sunday)

Tick tock! The Rhode Island PBS 2014 Benefit Auction is winding down, but you still have time to make your bid. The Auction ends Sunday, October 26, 2014. The 2014 Benefit Auction offers four specialty items chosen with you in mind. Bid with confidence, knowing your winning bid supports the shows you love to watch on Rhode Island PBS.

The Rhode Island PBS 2014 Benefit Auction features the 2015 Toyota Prius Two, generously donated by your New England Toyota Dealer. The Toyota Prius Two hybrid delivers five-passenger comfort, safety, and legendary fuel efficiency. Right now, bid $19,750 and you could find yourself behind the wheel of a 2015 Toyota Prius II, valued at $25,250. But place your bid before this auction closes at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

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FrameMyTV.com offers a creative and attractive way to hide your wall-mounted flat screen TV when it's not in use - transform it into a mirror or painting. Your bid of $800 could buy you a $1,500 decorating solution from FrameMyTV.com. This gift certificate will be sold at 8:45 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

Hide your TV screen behind the specially designed beam-splitting reflective glass. Turn your TV off and it is beautifully concealed by mirrored glass; turn your TV on and the glass reveals the crystal clear image on the screen behind it. Several design and decorating styles are available. Custom frame options are available, or go frameless and opt for a bathroom TV mirror. This item comes to the winning bidder in the form of a gift certificate valued at $1,500.

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Famous for their breakfasts, The Welch House Inn in Boothbay Harbor Maine offers spectacular views in any season. Savor the bounty during your two-night stay at The Welch House Inn, a 19th century Maine B and B overlooking Boothbay Harbor in mid-coast Maine.  Bid $366 and you could spend 2-nights at The Welch House Inn in Maine. This trip will sell at 8:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

Watch the boats sail by as you enjoy a full gourmet breakfast from the spacious deck or the glass front dining room. Walk to the best restaurants, galleries, and excursions that Boothbay Harbor offers, then enjoy an amazing sunset from the rooftop deck of this century old shipbuilder’s home. All 14 guestrooms have private baths, A/C, and TV/VCR. King, Queen, or Double Beds available with spectacular harbor views and gas fireplaces. Open year round. The stay at The Welch House Inn is valued at $455.

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Enjoy the beauty of Jamaica's world-famous seven mile beach in Negril - voted one of the top beaches in the world - during your four-day three-night stay in Garden Room accommodations at the quaint beachfront villa resort, Rondel Village. Your bid of $175 starts your journey of 4 days / 3 nights at Jamaica's Rondel Village resort. Bidding on this trip ends at 8:15 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26. This item has a value of $350.

This unique property offers privacy and tranquility in spacious accommodations, amid lush tropical gardens. It's an enchanting paradise where service is personalized and the surroundings are comfortable and relaxing. Rondel Village is a beautiful resort with beachside pool and new spa. Rondel Village is a winner of the Travelife Silver Award for sustainability in 2013, the Tourism Service Excellence Award in 2011 from the Negril Champion Organization and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Winner, Small Hotels Award in 2008. Also a national winner for the NCB Women in Business Award in 2011.

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The Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction is online only at ripbs.org until Sunday, October 26. Experience the benefit! 

Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction Opens September 22

Sometimes less is more. For proof, visit the Rhode Island PBS 2013 Benefit Auction, featuring just three items: the 2013 Toyota Prius v, round-trip accommodations for two between Chicago and New Orleans aboard a Pullman Rail Journeys sleeping car, and a dramatic Turkish wool wall hanging from Rustigian Rugs of Providence. Bidding opens on September 22.

The idea of a non-profit organization hosting an auction to raise money is not a new idea. In fact, auction has been part of the Rhode Island PBS tradition since 1978. The way auctions are conducted has changed over time, however, with more and more non-profits – Rhode Island PBS included – moving away from the chaos of live auctions to the quieter (but no less exciting and hotly competitive) arena of online auction.

The worldwide stage notwithstanding, the greatest support for Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auctions traditionally comes from the local audience – individuals who share a particular fondness for and loyalty to Rhode Island PBS. More than just engaging in a transaction, these local bidders from all across the tri-state viewing area are invested in the station. They share a special pride knowing they have contributed to the success of their very own public television station – an organization that values their engagement and appreciates their support.

Donors are the other essential element in the equation of auction success. For more than a decade, a loyal partner in Rhode Island PBS’s fundraising successes has been the New England Toyota Dealers. Each year for the past dozen or so, the New England Toyota Dealers have donated a brand new vehicle to the Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction, attracting hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to support the public television station’s programming and operations.

This year’s Benefit Auction, which opens September 22, features the 2013 Toyota Prius v, named “Best Overall Value of the Year for 2013” by Intellichoice. The 5-passenger Toyota Prius v delivers performance, legendary fuel efficiency, and was chosen 2013 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The long list of this model’s features is posted to the Rhode Island PBS Web site, ripbs.org.

Two other unique items are offered in the Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction for 2013: a luxurious train trip and a decorative wall hanging.

Pullman Rail Journeys provides the round-trip sleeping accommodations, meals and beverages for two between Chicago and New Orleans, a trip valued at $3,900. Travelers may choose to begin their trip from either city. The Category B Double Bedroom features an upper and lower berth, private toilet and sink, and lounge services available throughout the journey.

The wall hanging, donated by Rustigian Rugs of Providence, is a contemporary piece made of fragments of older Persian and Turkish flat woven kilim carpets, depicting antique decanters through an arched window. Donor valued at $2,495, the face of the piece is 100% wool. This piece was designed and fabricated in Istanbul, Turkey, and makes a bold artistic statement at an impressive 3 by 5 feet (actually, 2-feet 11-inches wide by 5-feet 1-inch tall).

For photos and more information about the 2013 Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction featuring the 2013 Toyota Prius v, please visit ripbs.org.