Guests fill the Bosarge Lerner Education Center at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to capacity for a concert and fundraiser for Veggies to Table on Sept 10. (Photo courtesy Alain Ollier)
On Sept. 10, at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a generous community opened their hearts and wallets to raise over $31,000 at the second annual concert and fundraiser that was held to benefit Veggies to Table.
“These funds will help us expand our vital work toward alleviating hunger in our community,” said Erica Berman, executive director of Veggies To Table. “A huge thanks to Cliff Thaell, Georjean Machulis, Donna and Denny Denniston, and John Schindler for choosing us as the beneficiary of the event and for their many hundreds of hours of hard work which made this event such an incredible success.”
Guests entering the filled-to-capacity Bosarge Lerner Education Center were greeted with colorful bouquets of fresh cut flowers made from Veggies to Tables’s bountiful gardens. Food tables were laden with delicious hors d’oeuvres and bartenders poured Oxbow beer and French wine donated by Vineyard Road Wines through Pine State Trading.
The lush harmonies of Waldoboro’s No Spring Chickens, original songs by local singer songwriter Schindler and world-class fiddling by Howie Carlough combined into an upbeat, heartfelt, down home, optimistic concert to entertain the enthusiastic audience.
Veggies to Table Executive Director Erica Berman and volunteer auctioneer Doug Gimbel pause to take a photo during the concert and fundraiser benefitting Veggies to Table held in the Bosarge Lerner Education Center at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens on Sept 10. (Photo courtesy Alain Ollier)
After the concert the auction began with flurry of bidding as Doug Gimbel motivated the crowd to bid on an array of items all donated by generous patrons including an electric bike by Pedego in Boothbay Harbor, a night at the Topside Inn, gift certificates from Boothbay Craft Brewery and Bred in the Bone, a private farm tour and dinner at the Veggies to Table farm, a night in a Seguin Treehouse, a beekeeping experience with Barters Island Bees including a beehive cake by Wildwoods Bakery, a Brad Betts painting, and another by John Seitzer, a year-long online pastry course, a year-long subscription to the Alliance Française du Maine, a handmade bowl by Allison Evans, cases of wine from Pinkham’s Gourmet Market, foraging at Veggies to Table, and a night at The Tipsy Butler in Newcastle.
Guests also donated to pay the equivalent cost of food for couples and families for a week, a month, or a year. The highest donation was $10,000 which can pay for food for a family of four for one full year.
Andrew Robertson of Nathan’s Pharmacy, one of the many contributors, said, “Our family enjoyed every moment of this heartfelt event.”
“Our intent was for every penny of the money we raised to go directly to Veggies to Table, so we worked hard to get everything donated,” said Donna Denniston. “From the wine to the toothpicks, almost everything was covered by donations. I think that people who bought tickets and attended the event like knowing that the money that they spent went directly to feeding local families. We could never have done that without the generosity of the individuals and businesses in our area.
“We especially want to thank the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens for hosting our community benefit,” said Thaell. “They provided the location and volunteers who tended the bar, helped set up and clean up, and shuttle guests to and from the parking area. The gardens generously offered our attendees free admission to stroll the gardens prior to the event and, of course, we thank those individuals who bought the over 130 tickets, many of them adding an additional donation to the ticket price. They were a great and generous audience.”
