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Flyer, paddles and photos on a table at event (Kristen Thoennes)
The Ramstein Enlisted Spouses’ Association (RESA) hosted their annual Quartermania fundraiser on November 14, 2025. Armstrong’s Club on Vogelweh served as the perfect venue to bid the night away on close to 100 baskets donated by the community to benefit the KMC First Sergeants Angel Tree program which financially helps military families in the Kaiserslautern Military Community during the holiday season.
Four people dressed in costumes from the various decades (RESA)
This year’s event theme was Rocking Through the Decades. Attendees were encouraged to dress up as their favorite era in music. The RESA members and other attendees brought it with their costumes! We saw it all: rockin’ ’50s, groovy ’70s, neon ’80s and grunge ’90s! Stars and Stripes donated a beautiful Thirty-One cork purse filled with all kinds of goodies to make traveling around Europe fun and easy. Of course we included our favorite magazines, like “Stripes Europe,” to inspire your travel!
Quartermania is a cross between an auction and a raffle where people ‘bid’ to win a basket donated from local businesses and members of the community. Bids on these items are from 1 to 8 quarters, depending on the cost of the basket. For each $25 the basket is worth, the bid is $0.25. When you check-in you pick out a paddle with a number that is used for your individual bidding.
Participants sitting at tables holding up their numbered paddles (RESA)
The auctioneer begins by holding up a product and telling a little bit about the highlights and then tells everyone how much the item is going for – between one and eight quarters! If you would like to bid on that item, you put the corresponding number of quarters in the collection pot then hold up your paddle and wait for your number to be called! Once all the bids are in, the auctioneer will shuffle the lotto balls and randomly select one. If your paddle number is called and you have placed a bid, you win that item. And you only paid a few quarters.
Stars and Stripes donated basket: Bag filled with goodies like sunglasses, magazines and other swag. (Kristen Thoennes)
We are already brainstorming what baskets to donate for next year’s Quartermania!
