Miss Mannieren: Fundraising event Guests receive a letter with the inscription Pony, or stop being present

Dear Miss Maners: My wife’s best friend of the High School, “Nelly”, has become a very successful businesswoman. Every year it will invite us to the autumn donation campaign for the local performance art company, which collects donations for local theater groups. She will buy a table of eight for this event and invite us to join her.

The event has to donate both silent and living auctions as well as other options, money as well as a meal and a short piece of one of the theater groups that supports the organization.

Most of the participants are people with the highest social reputation in our community, with the unanimous money. The amount that people spend in the silent and living auctions is ridiculous in my opinion. For example, 1,500 US dollars for a winery tour and a tasting in which you can select two bottles of wine. A basket “film evening” with probably 25 US dollars worth 25 US dollars that are sold for 200 US dollars, etc.

If people have the money to spend this way, I have no problem with how it is for a good cause. But my wife and I are financially unable to offer these articles at all, let alone have the bid. Even the quiet auction objects have a higher minimum offer than we would spend.

Every couple (or every person, if single) is registered and receives a tender paddle with a number. My wife’s girlfriend said several times that we are guests of her and are not obliged to offer something or buy something.

But then we received a letter from the group’s president. The letter was eloquent, but the core was: “Our records show that in recent years they have not presented anything on something and have never contributed to our other fundraising requests. A lot of effort and money are used in this event. We ask you to find a way to apologize next year so that someone who is ready to support the group can take part. Don’t let Nelly know that I contacted you. “

How would you react to it?