Crohn's & Colitis Foundation hosts 24-hour silent auction for national championship experience

The Alabama and Northwest Florida chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is hosting a 24-hour silent auction for a College Football Playoff National Championship experience in Santa Clara, California.

Between 6 p.m. (central time) Wednesday, Jan. 2, and 6 p.m. (central time) Thursday, Jan. 3, people can place bids on the package, which includes two club level seats to the national championship game between Alabama and Clemson, airfare for two up to $2,000 each, a three-night stay at the team hotel — the Santa Clara Marriott, and $500 for incidental expenses.

Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham is donating the package to raise money to help find a cure for the two inflammatory bowel diseases and help people who struggle with the diseases to have a higher quality of life.

People can place bids at https://football19.auction-bid.org/microsite/ or by texting FOOTBALL19 to 24700. Only the winning bid will be expected to make the donation, but all proceeds from the winning bid will benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Alabama and Northwest Florida chapter, said Emily Richter, executive director for the chapter.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, debilitating digestive diseases affecting more than 3.1 million American adults and children, including an estimated 80,000 patients under the age of 18.

“Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham is such an amazing community partner for our chapter,” Richter said. “They are helping the foundation raise critical funds for research for better treatments and understanding the causes of IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases), as well as helping erase some of the stigmas many of our patients face. Because of them, we are able to help contribute to more research projects like those we are already funding at UAB and across the country.”

For more information about the foundation or the silent auction, contact Richter at (646) 387-2149 or erichter@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.