March 30, 2006 (Baltimore, MD) - Trading Graces Online Auction Generates Increased Awareness of Lutheran Social Ministry

The first annual Trading Graces Online Auction, hosted on eBay from February 26 through March 8, received extensive coverage in national and local media, generating more than 25,000,000 media impressions across the country. Ranging from coverage on ABC World News Tonight, through segments on regional television affiliates, and spots on PBS and other cable news outlets, more than 15,000,000 television viewers learned about this groundbreaking effort by Lutheran Services in America (LSA) and Lutheran social ministry organizations. Print media coverage included stories in 56 metro daily papers and an advertisement in the national edition of USA Today. Public service announcements and stories were carried by 68 radio stations as well as four syndicated radio networks.

In addition, both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod featured Trading Graces on their websites, meaning that the large number of regular visitors to these sites read about the significant work of LSA member organizations. LSA's own website received a record-setting two million "hits" during February as potential Trading Graces buyers browsed the collection of auction items on the Preview Gallery. Word about Trading Graces even traversed the international realm of cyberspace as stories were carried on websites as far away as India. And, both church body publications - The Lutheran and The Lutheran Witness - provided coverage that increased awareness of social ministry among Lutheran constituents. LSA member organizations joined in spreading the word through feature stories in their newsletters and mentions on their websites.

LSA and 75 of its member organizations participated in the inaugural Trading Graces Online Auction, including social ministry organizations from 21 states as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Together these organizations listed more than 2200 items on eBay. Items that were sold ranged in price from $5.50 to $8,100 and included such things as video recording equipment, a 1987 World Series Minnesota Twins Championship bat, a 1992 Ford van, and a ski vacation in Winter Park, CO. One of the more unusual items sold was an 11-foot wooden giraffe that had been nicknamed "Grace" and became the mascot of the online auction. Grace found a new home in Pennsylvania and has been shipped from her former home in California.

Retrieval of data and analysis of the information is currently underway, and a final report on the results of LSA's first online auction will be available within a few weeks. LSA expresses its gratitude to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for helping to fund this project, to the ELCA and the LCMS for their support, and to all of the participating social ministry organizations, their staff members, and volunteers for working together to make Trading Graces a resounding success in raising awareness of the work of Lutheran social ministry.