UNIQUE AUCTION
Marylou Whitney’s personal items to be sold for a good cause
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » A Marylou Whitney Collection Auction is providing the chance for fans and friends to obtain a piece of the late local icon’s legacy, while raising funds for a new backstretch medical clinic at Saratoga Race Course.
The online auction offers diverse purchasing opportunities from diamonds to denim, and tchotchkes to chic couture.
The website, www.MarylouWhitneyCollection.com, made its debut on Wednesday for preview only. The auction action begins Monday, July 27, at midnight, and continues through Saturday, August 1, at 11.59 p.m.: Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course. Bidding and “Buy It Now” options will be available.
One of the most special items in the fine jewelry category is a diamond choker necklace that was especially dear to Whitney. The piece was a birthday gift from her husband John Hendrickson.
Whitney’s pristine 1985 red Jaguar XJ6 will create interest from collectors and the public as well. With only 28,449 original miles, the showroom-worthy sedan has leather seats and an automatic transmission.
Other featured items include designer evening gowns; couture ensembles and cocktail dresses by Bill Blass, Arnold Scassi, and Chanel; evening purses by Judith Lieber Couture and Chanel; fur coats; hats; vintage dresses; and designer scarves by Hermès and Tiffany.
Many affordable and practical items, such as costume jewelry, casual attire, hats, coats, scarves, memorabilia, and furniture, are also available in the auction.
The upcoming online event
is meant to personify the popular philanthropist’s lifelong philosophy of giving, sharing, and supporting charities, a press release from event organizers said, explaining that auction benefits the new building that will be the future home of the backstretch medical clinic. This facility will be operated at Saratoga Race Course by Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team.
Hendrickson developed the concept of sharing Whitney’s worldly possessions with others, while helping two charitable entities. He donated approximately 1,500 pieces that have been photographed and categorized for the auction.
“As I began the difficult task of going through Marylou’s personal items at each of our homes, she seemed to speak to me,” Hendrickson said in the release. “No one shared her blessings and good fortune more than Marylou.
“No one was more dedicated to helping charities than Marylou…and so the idea was born. Her spirit of giving will live on—Marylou’s personal items are going for a greater good.”
Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo Calbone considers the auction “a fitting partnership that reflects and strengthens the hospital’s long-standing relationship with Marylou,” he said in the release.
Whitney’s generosity to Saratoga Hospital is publicly acknowledged in the naming of the Marylou Whitney and Desmond DelGiacco, M.D., Intensive Care Unit, and the Whitney-Hendrickson Cardiovascular & Interventional Suite.
“Once again, Saratoga Hospital owes a debt of gratitude to Marylou—and to John, who chose us as a beneficiary of this auction,” Calbone continued. “We know how much the backstretch workers meant to Marylou, and we are honored to play a key role in making sure they continue to receive the care they need and deserve.”
The Backstretch Employee Service Team launched the backstretch clinic in a trailer at Saratoga Race Course in 2005 and partnered with Saratoga Hospital in 2009. Since then, a team of bilingual doctors, nurses, and other Saratoga Hospital health care professionals have provided primary care, disease management and prevention, and other services.
Paul Ruchames, executive director of the Backstretch Employee Service Team, expressed his appreciation.
“We were thrilled to learn that John committed to building this new, stateof-the-art facility, as a tribute to the healing spirit that Marylou exuded,” Ruchames said in the release. “The welfare of backstretch workers was so close to her heart, and they loved her.
“The public’s participation in this auction will appropriately honor her legacy of kindness to everyone.”
More than a decade ago, Whitney and Hendrickson
founded the Backstretch Appreciation Dinners, which evolved into daily events for backstretch workers.
In recognition of Whitney’s compassion for these racetrack workers, Governor Andrew Cuomo pledged a memorial tribute - a permanent backstretch event pavilion at the track, to be named The Marylou Whitney Pavilion.
The New York Racing Association lauded the Whitney family’s commitment to racing by building the multistory Whitney Viewing Stand at the Oklahoma training track.
Additionally, as a memorial tribute, in 2019, New York Racing Association named the Clubhouse entrance to the track, The Marylou Whitney Clubhouse Entrance.
The new www.MarylouWhitneyCollection. com website features information on Whitney’s background and accomplishments, a video, photographs, as well as a complete listing, with photographs, of all her personal items that will be featured several with Whitney wearing the outfit or accessory. There is a link to bring shoppers to the auction categories and individual items, and a link for those wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution.
Additionally, visitors have the option to register for the auction in advance, to receive bidding notifications during the auction via text alert, or to ask questions via email.