Modesto Bee Article
By Deke Farrow, Staff Reporter
last updated March 4, 2008 at 4:53:30 AM
A woman could shuck a hill of oysters and never find a decent pearl. That said, all four guys lined up for the Health Services Agency Foundation of Stanislaus County's second annual String of Pearls bachelor auction are precious, says organizer Heidi Santino.
To select the bachelors, "we asked (HSA Foundation) board members who they think are good representatives of our community -- nice, good personalities, have to be single, of course, that's important," said Santino, executive director of the foundation.
Santino "grilled" each bachelor personally, to gather information for the brief bios posted on their eBay bidding sites. One or two even got the third degree from other foundation board members. She joked that there's "nothing obviously wrong with any of them, or we'd say, 'Sorry, but we don't think you're quite right for what we're doing.'
"If they can handle me grilling them with all these personal questions and take it good-naturedly, with a sense of humor," she added, "that's the kind of guy who'll do really well with this."
Bidding on the bachelors opened Saturday and closes Friday. Bids started at $125. For her money, each winning bidder gets her bachelor escort and two tickets to the String of Pearls Gala (a $250 value) on March 15 at a private residence in Modesto.
To allow the bachelors at least a small degree of anonymity on eBay, the HSA Foundation is using only first names: Tom, an attorney; Jon, who's in insurance sales; Zee, a physician training through the Stanislaus Family Medicine Residency Program; and Brad, a family physician.
Tom participated in the String of Pearls bachelor auction last year. "It was fun for me; the HSA really knows how to put on a fine event," he said via e-mail. His advice to his fellow auction-block bachelors "would be to remember that your job is to
make sure your date has a good time, so be attentive and interested. She wants to be there, and you have helped her do that."
Zee also has been in a bachelor auction before, though it was a good friend who "won" him, so he didn't have any blind-date pressure. He has no expectation of that happening this time, though, and is "open to anything" happening in the String of Pearls auction.
Being in the physician residency program keeps Zee busy, but some rotations are less demanding than others, so he's had a chance to date during the past couple of months. It's clear from Zee's bio that he has a good sense of humor; under "hobbies," he lists "complaining about how the world is messed up but not doing anything about it."
"I kind of have my own sense of humor that some people don't get," he said Monday morning.
Jon faced a few foundation board members for his pre-auction interrogation, Santino said, and he handled it in great style. He was very relaxed and showed a great sense of humor, she said.
Jon's never done a bachelor auction, though he said via e-mail, "I have dated online and recently tried speed dating." He agreed to be in the auction because it raises money for a great cause and because "this will be a stretch for me, and that is good. I am up for it. ... I am looking forward to the event."
As for Brad, well, Santino said she created the auction last year specifically hoping to get Brad on board. He didn't participate then, but promised he would this year, she said. Santino recently reminded Brad of his promise and told him what a catch he'd make, how adorable, fun, sweet, etc., he is. "He said, 'You had me at adorable,' " she said.
"I am very humbled and flattered that Heidi had that sentiment," Brad wrote in an e-mail, "and I would love to honor her and participate in this function with a smile! I don't take myself too seriously and nobody can laugh at me more than I can laugh at myself. I can guarantee a wonderful time to whoever wins the bid!"
The bachelor auction is all in good fun, Santino said. "We don't expect them to make love connections, but if they do, what a story we'd have. ... All would like to be in relationships, but that hasn't happened for one reason or another."
Atop each bachelor's bio is "Heidi's recommendation." Her comments on the guys include "fun, fun, fun," "cutie," "nice to be around" and "a gentleman and a delight!"
With prodding, she goes further, saying, "If I were dating, any one of them would be a good find for different reasons."
But her husband, David, needn't worry. Santino said she's "the luckiest girl in the world. I'm just trying to help other women be so fortunate."
To bid on a bachelor, visit www.ebay.com and search "HSA
Foundation." For more on the nonprofit HSA Foundation, visit www.hsafoundation.org.
Assistant features editor Deke Farrow can be reached at jfarrow@modbee.com or 578-2327.
