Postscript to Possible Dreams: Added Prize Raises Final Total

By ALEXIS TONTI

In an unexpected turn following the annual Possible Dreams Auction,
one donor decided to offer two Vineyard residents the chance to buy the
dream that just last Monday slipped through their fingers.

The dream was a luxury trip to the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.
It included airfare and accommodations, along with the chance to attend
the qualifying races, tour the pits and meet the drivers. Islanders
Steve Schwab and John Early had hoped to make it theirs. They pooled
their resources to come up with $27,500 - but the gavel
didn't come down until the bidding reached $35,000.

Later that week, however, through an article in the Martha's
Vineyard Times and word of mouth, the story of the pair's interest
reached Katama resident Marty Homlish. Mr. Homlish sits on the board of
directors for SAP, the business-to-business software company responsible
for the racing dream.

"I was talking to [assistant auctioneer] Rick Lee, and Rick
told me that Steve Schwab was one of the people who showed up at the
auction, ready to mortgage his house and his kids' tuition to bid
on the Grand Prix," said Mr. Homlish, who also serves as SAP chief
marketing officer.

"Rick said Steve was a Formula One fan from long ago. When I
heard about that, I decided to see if we could come up with another
dream."

The result was a similar package - a week-long trip to Spain
to see the Barcelona Grand Prix in May, with the same VIP access to the
event.

Mr. Homlish spoke with Mr. Schwab over the weekend to make the
offer.

"He was thrilled, he was like a kid," said Mr. Homlish.
"He said, ‘This was like the dream of my life.'
"

Mr. Schwab works for Martha's Vineyard Insurance and Mr. Early
is a West Tisbury selectman. Both were off-Island yesterday and
unavailable for comment.

"For 20 years we watched the auction from our lawn
chairs," said Mr. Homlish, who has been spending summers on the
Vineyard since the mid-1970s.

"And I always said to my wife that one day I wanted to be able
to contribute something. This is such a special place, and [Community
Services] does such a wonderful thing for the community, that it is nice
to be able to give something back."

For the 2003 auction, SAP put together a trip to the Presidents Club
golf tournament in South Africa. This year it was the two Grand Prix
packages. And Mr. Homlish said it won't be long before they look
ahead to 2005.

"It was extraordinarily generous," said auction chairman
Kerry Scott, who added that the dream pushed the total raised from last
Monday's auction to $543,300 - a new record. With the
additional money from food and ticket sales, and with some donations
still coming in, Ms. Scott predicted that the total will be around
$585,000.

All of the proceeds benefit Martha's Vineyard Community
Services.

"Marty has been a great friend to Possible Dreams," said
Ms. Scott. "And the word to Steve and John and the people who
bought the Monte Carlo dreams is to rest up - the trips are
nonstop."