First Sunrise Food Bank fundraiser rocks

Start your planning now for the second annual Sunrise Food Bank fundraiser in 2021. It will be a night of music & silent auction. And folks have a year to prepare, much more than the nine weeks the Food Bank board gave themselves last November. Michelle Havist, the still new director, feels confident they will net more than the $15,000 they raised Saturday at Maple Hall.

The music was from the ‘60s for a crowd that averaged a higher age than that, but for the night were back in their twenties decade. There wasn’t any pot, inside, but there was the beer and wine for purchase and everyone was glad they had come out to support such a good cause.

The success was way beyond expectations. “We were hoping for 75 people to show up and to cover the initial $1,000 budget,” Havist noted. As many as 200 people attended. They filled the downstairs table, stood by the silent auction tables and took seats in the balcony. They fed on pizza, vegetable platters, pub mix, cookies and soft drinks, They listened to and didn’t hesitate to dance to the Lost Keys, the seven piece local band.

For most of the evening emcee Scott Price offered nudges of encouragement, dangling the challenge of $5,000 donated by Jon and Linda Peterson if the crowd bid $5,000 in purchasing 58 silent auction items. Price also offered facts about homelessness in America and locally.

Local realtor Rebecca Chamberlin added to the pot, presenting a $2,500 donation from the Windermere Foundation of Windermere Realty. “The donation was made possible by her plea to the Foundation to support her area of business, La Conner,” Havist explained.

Silent auction purchases totaled $5,000.

Some attendees told Havist that though Skagitonians, they did not know about the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank. They were thrilled to learn about it and glad they attended and could thus make a difference in the community.

Observed Havist, “Tonight’s food bank event was about outreach and bringing the community together to help and support and to recognize the importance of food banks in our communities. As a community working together we are able to help individuals, families and children with the most basic need: Food!”

She found the most common reflections were comments on how the entire community stepped up and supported each other in such a wonderful and enriching event. Many told Havist they are looking forward to next year’s fundraiser with great anticipation.

Price, the La Conner Edward Jones office financial advisor, and Havist’s husband, noted that the merchants, business and entire La Conner community has always been wonderful. “They all showed their true colors this evening through their amazing selfless support. We even had community members ask how they could donate some of their investments to the Food Bank, which is a qualified 501(c)3 charitable organization.

Havist was profuse in her thanks to onors, volunteers, the board and the band for making the fundraiser such a huge, surprise success.

Price’s final word: “La Conner is an absolutely amazing, wonderful community in which we live with so much richness in our geography, climate and most importantly in our people.”

The Lost Keys: Charley Harp, harmonica; Randy Stewart, singer; Renee Matthews, singer; Doug McConnell, guitar; Jim Matthew’s, bass player; Jim Itter, keyboard and Nick Plume, drummer.

Havist is the general manager of the Weekly News.