Roaring Twenties-Themed Benefit Raises Money for Local School

Ladies in flapper attire and gentlemen wearing top hats perused silent auctions and raffle items Saturday evening at the 6th Annual Oak Arbor School Benefit Fundraiser, which had a "Roaring Twenties" theme this year.

Fifth- through eighth-grade students opened doors, collected raffle tickets and circulated with silver platters of appetizers, which included chicken wellington and poached pear with cheese on a cracker. 

"We're having a great time, it's wonderful to have this many people here," said Nathan Gladish, assistant pastor of Oak Arbor Church and principal of Oak Arbor School.

The elegant dinner menu consisted of roast beef in a mushroom cabernet sauce, breaded whitefish and mostaccioli.

A performance of “Inspector Director and the Case of the Precious Treasure" followed the dinner and key lime pie desert.

Almost 100 silent auction items were sold to the highest bidder, including:

• Four University of Michigan football tickets
• A Star Wars vintage toy collection
• Four Tigers vs. Yankees tickets for May 5
• Horseback riding lessons with Bob Heinrichs

For those not trying to catch a game, there was jewelry donated by Haig’s in downtown Rochester to help keep the female bidders happy.

An iPad, a night at the Royal Park Hotel and many donated and hand-made items were raffled off, too.

By the end of the night, colored feathers from boas littered the floor, and the school was a little bit richer.

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