FISH CAMP – The Oakhurst Community Park Committee wants everyone to know the annual Elegant Auction to benefit the park is slated for Saturday, Apr. 12. The event, now in its 29th year, is being held once again at Tenaya Lodge, starting at 5 p.m.
Plans are for a lively crowd to gather, dine, sip champagne, bid on hundreds of valuable auction items, then “dance the night away,” and even play some poker.
“It looks like we’re going to have a great event,” said auction chairperson Susan Macaulay. “The theme for this year’s event is ‘Honoring the 150th Anniversary of the Yosemite Grant.’ We have $99 rooms at Tenaya and you can make it a weekend getaway and enjoy a whole evening of fun.”
The silent auction begins when doors open, and the live auction starts at 8 p.m. Guests will also be treated to a gourmet buffet, dessert bar and complimentary champagne. Following dinner and the auctions, a DJ takes over for dancing until 1 a.m., along with “a few tables of Texas Hold ‘Em,” for the after-auction party.
In the meantime, anyone who is interested in the Oakhurst Community Park is encouraged to get involved with the fundraising effort. Volunteers are currently being sought for a variety of positions.
“We always have room for more volunteers! We have a great committee of about 15 gals that make it all happen, and we have established many a friend in all the years helping with the auction,” Macaulay noted. “People can help by getting donations from local businesses, including online contacts, or even maybe a homemade blanket or bench that the grandparents made, for instance. People want to help out, but don’t always know how.”
Macaulay suggests those who wish to contribute make requests for gift certificates and donations from their own private contractors and favorite restaurants, among others.
The Elegant Auction committee will be meeting every two weeks for the next seven weeks. The next planning meeting is set for Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 5:30 p.m. The location for the meeting, and drop-off location for auction items, is 49774 Road 426.
“We’ll be starting to organize displays, writing out bid sheets and just making new friends,” promised Macaulay of the upcoming meeting. “Even if you get two or three items for the raffle, it is very helpful. Then, the final day is six to eight hours of making Tenaya Lodge a beautiful place for the auction.”
In 2013, the event raised approximately $35,000 for Oakhurst Community Park, with roughly 300 silent auction items and over 50 live auction items up for bid. Organizers say they’ve had everything from a live horse, and a jet trip “anywhere on the west coast,” to jewelry, lunches, salon visits and vacation getaways.
“The Elegant Auction is a great evening, and it’s important to remember the reason for the event is to maintain your local community park,” Macaulay points out, emphasizing the need for people to participate in order to keep the park up and running smoothly. “The auction provides funding for all the equipment, maintenance and upgrades to the park.”
Located in the unincorporated community of Oakhurst, the park receives no county or state funding. The committees remind residents and visitors that monetary donations are always accepted, even if one can’t attend the Elegant Auction.
Tickets are $45 per person in advance, available through the Elegant Auction committee. Tickets are $50 at the door. Pictured with this story are scenes from last year’s Elegant Auction.
For more information visit the Oakhurst Community Park Elegant Auction page on Facebook.
