Sunday, March 19, 2023
Auburndale Lions Club Hosted Inaugural Black Tie Fundraiser Gala
by James Coulter
Live music. Great food. And plenty of people dressed in black and dapper clothing. This was the atmosphere of the very first Black Tie Fundraising Gala hosted by the Auburndale Lions Club.
The formal event had attendees dress up in their finest formal wear (mostly black), enjoy a dinner served by Santiago’s Market, and listen and dance to golden oldie hits performed by Eddie Rivers.
Proceeds from the event will help sponsor and support three affiliates with the Auburndale Lions Club. One of them is the Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired in Daytona Beach, which helps the blind and the legally blind live independently.
These proceeds will also help sponsor children to attend diabetic camp in the summer, as well as provide fishing poles and live bait for the club’s monthly fishing derby.
MinnieGee Hassle received the idea to host the event following a fundraising event last June which raised more than $1,000 for the Special Olympics in Orlando.
“So, we figured if we can do it for Special Olympics, we can do it for our kids,” said Wanda Wiggs, President of Auburndale Lions Club. Wiggs was quite impressed by the turnout, especially with the gala being the inaugural event. “It is a success. We do well and I hope we can continue to receive funding to reach our goal.”
Hassle herself was also impressed by the turnout. She had initially expected fewer people to show up, but the actual attendance more than exceeded her initial expectations, she said.
“It is pretty good,” she said. “We were expecting [fewer] people, but it looks like more people are picking up and coming in here. We have more tickets than we sold…We have a nice and wonderful group of amazing people.”
The Auburndale Lions Club will be hosting its annual fish fry on April 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meals are $10 each. For more information, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lionsclubs