Just three years after its start, it just wouldn’t be autumn at the Delaware shore without the Harvest Ball. And, this Saturday, Oct. 11, the Friends of the South Coastal Library (FOSCL) are presenting the third annual Harvest Ball, a black tie-optional affair, benefiting their Capital Campaign to enlarge the South Coastal Library and Joshua M. Freeman Cultural Center in Bethany Beach.
The formal evening, complete with a surf-and-turf meal, provides guests with the opportunity to bid on an extensive lineup of gifts and prizes in silent and live auctions, enjoy live music, and meet and greet members of the community — all while providing a service to the area.
And, for the first time, this year FOSCL has teamed up with local restaurateurs Matt Hayley and Nino Mancari, ensuring guests will experience some of the beach’s most notable tastes.
Held once again at the Baycenter at Ruddertowne, Dewey Beach, the event is expected to pull in a hefty sum for the library, as the evening in the past two years yielded roughly $75,000 combined.
“We’ve been very fortunate with the Beach and Bay Cottage Tour and the Harvest Ball,” said FOSCL public relations manager and board member Joan Gordon. “The community has been behind us all the way, even considering these hard economic times.”
This year’s Beach and Bay Cottage Tour brought in nearly $95,000, thanks to another sold-out showing, and committee members have already begun planning for 2009’s tour. Proceeds from ticket sales and auctions at the ball are earmarked for the expansion, furnishings and fixtures for the new library.
“Construction is coming along on schedule,” said Gordon. “They are expected to be finished by end of the year, and they’re targeting April for the grand reopening. It’s really coming along.”
This winter, contractors anticipate offering a walk-through for the public, as construction nears completion and the building is deemed safe.
Last year, the Harvest Ball grossed $31,000 for FOSCL in auction totals alone, and chairman Karen Taylor hopes to reach that number again this Saturday.
“It’s tough to hit the numbers we aim for, with the market the way it is,” she noted, “but local businesses have really helped underwrite the expenses. We appreciate what they do so much, because we understand they are used to getting several knocks on their door a day, and they still offer their services to us when we ask them.”
Auction items up for bids in this year’s Harvest Ball auctions include a variety of prizes and services, such as weekend getaways, artwork, sports packages, home accessories, jewelry, restaurant gift cards and much more.
Live-auction items donated by individual supporters will help bring in some earnings, too, including Taylor’s donation of a Nintendo Wii gaming console and the Wii Fit game; a gourmet dinner for eight in the winner’s home with Jonathan and Mary Spivak, former owners of Sedona; and a week-long getaway to Barbados, courtesy of auctioneer Chuck Coltman.
“The numbers in attendance may be down a little this year,” said Taylor, “but the money from tickets will cover the meal, and we’re looking to turn around a decent amount with the bidding. Plus, the food should taste pretty good, too.”
The Mario Rocco Band, a staple through the Lewes and Rehoboth areas, will be enlightening the crowd with rock-and-roll favorites.
Although planning for the event has been hectic, Taylor acknowledged that the committee is basically set on autopilot now, as the event date nears.
“I was an event manager in my past career,” she said, “and you join a group like this, thinking you’re in retirement mode, but when you do the Beach and Bay Cottage Tour, then turn around and put together the Harvest Ball, you realize that it doesn’t feel like retirement at all. The people I work with are great, though, and everyone is very professional. I couldn’t be happier working with the people I do.”
The Harvest Ball — slated for Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Baycenter at Ruddertowne in Dewey Beach — will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour, including silent auction bidding, open bar, champagne and hors d’oeuvres for guests. Dinner, live auction and dancing will follow.
Tickets are still on sale at $150 apiece or a table of eight for $1,200. Attire is black tie-optional. For further information, contact Karen Taylor at (302) 539-9452 or visit www.foscl.com online. A complete list of auction items is also available on the organization’s Web site. For ticket availability, contact Joan Thomas at (302) 539-1367.