The O'Neal School announces that Christa and Peter Duffy serve as chairs for its 38th Annual Auction, slated for Feb. 7, at The Fair Barn in Pinehurst.

"Proceeds from this year's event are directed to the athletics and fine arts programs which will be housed in our new Activities Center," says Brenda Jackson, assistant headmaster and director of institutional advancement. "The auction has always been a great 'friend-raising' opportunity. As longtime supporters of the school, we are excited to have Christa and Peter as chairs for this year's auction."

The Duffys moved to Pinehurst in 1996 from Clarksburg, W.Va.. Having owned property at the Country Club of North Carolina, Peter and Christa often traveled to Pinehurst to golf. After their first child was born, they decided to make Pinehurst their home. They have a son, Kevin, an eighth-grader who competes for the O'Neal varsity swim team, and a daughter, Fiona, in the third grade, who swims for the Sandhills Sandsharks. Christa was a New York Public Schools student, and Peter had an independent school education, which helped shape his strong conviction about the benefits of the learning environment in an independent school. Because of this, The O'Neal School was an important part of the decision to relocate to Pinehurst.

Peter is an interventional cardiologist with Pinehurst Cardiology Consultants in Pinehurst. He is an attending cardiologist at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and serves as a consulting cardiologist for Scotland Memorial Hospital in Laurinburg, Sandhills Regional Medical Center in Hamlet, Montgomery Memorial Hospital in Troy and Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford.

After receiving his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y., in 1980, he completed his internship and residency at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, where he met his wife, Christa, a registered nurse. He was a fellow in cardiology at Georgetown University and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Though natives of New York and New Jersey respectively, Christa and Peter moved to West Virginia in July 1985, where he was an attending cardiologist at United Hospital Center for 11 years. He has served as a clinical instructor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and holds numerous certifications in his field, including board certification in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases and the subspecialty of interventional cardiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a Fellow of the Society of Coronary Angiography and Intervention.

Christa is the owner of real estate leasing and development companies -- CMD Properties I and II. Christa devotes much of her time to The O'Neal School. She has been room mother for many years and has worked on the annual fund committee. Christa is in her third year serving on The O'Neal School Board of Trustees. As a trustee, she was a member of the development committee and has now moved on to the buildings and grounds committee in preparation for putting the finishing touches on O'Neal's campus. Previously, she served on the board of Clarksburg Rotary Club as well as secretary.

Christa has always volunteered to help with The O'Neal Annual Auction. She has served as co-chair as well as chair of the 'live auction' -- a major component of the event. Last year, Christa was instrumental in bringing a philanthropic auctioneer to O'Neal for the occasion. San Francisco-based, Reynolds & Buckley, LLC has been helping charities for more than 25 years with its expert fundraising consultations and energetic auction performances. The same firm is used by the Jimmy V Foundation for its annual auction. O'Neal will be using Reynolds & Buckley again this year.

This year's auction theme is "Curtains to Net" as auction proceeds will be allocated to O'Neal's athletics and fine arts programs. The O'Neal School is currently in a capital campaign to support its new Activities Center now under construction. The Activities Center will hold a gymnasium, a 250-seat theater, and classrooms for music and drama.

"This is a signal of the beginning of a true fine arts program for O'Neal and an enhancement to an already outstanding athletics program," says Christa Duffy.

The Activities Center is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2009.

The annual auction is comprised of live and silent segments. A raffle for $10,000 as well as a raffle for a white and black diamond ring from Honeycutt Jewelers will also take place. Food stations, catered by Elliott's on Linden will be located around the Fair Barn and provide tapas of Italian, American, and Asian cuisine. Live auction items include trips, group dinners at fine restaurants, jewelry, a wine cellar comprised of donations from O'Neal parents, tickets to sporting events such as a Carolina Panthers game and more. The silent auction has quality items in categories such as student creations, sports memorabilia and pottery.

The O'Neal School 38th Annual Auction starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.

For more information and to purchase a ticket, contact Lynn Melton, auction director at (910) 692-6920 ext. 104 or by e-mailing lmelton@onealschool.org.