The people and merchants in this county and our little community of Clearlake Oaks have got to be the best anywhere. When it came time to help out a good family that needed it, they stepped right up to the plate.

At the fundraiser on Oct. 9 at the Keys Club to benefit Jerry and Sandy Edgington's daughter, Julie, and her family, there was standing room only for the raffle and auction and a full house for the dinner. Julie was stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome earlier in the summer.

 

We would first like to thank the merchants who donated food for the dinner and items for our auction: Red and White Market in Clearlake Oaks, Sentry Market in Nice, Foods Etc, Grocery Outlet and Rays in Clearlake, Noggle Winery and Gardens, High Valley Winery and Vineyard and Brassfield Estates in Clearlake Oaks, Robinson Rancheria, Cache Creek Casino, Bogle Winery, Classic Cut Ups, Dr. Paula Dhanda, John Clarke (artist), Mendo Mill of Clearlake, Kathi Monthei, Clearlake Mattress Outlet (CLO), Head Over Heels Hair Salon (CLO), Finest Nails, David Neft (musician), Richmond Park Bar and Grill (the Streckfuses), Lakeshore Bait & Tackle and Impact Training Gun Shop, and, of course, the Keys Club itself for donating all the plates, utensils and cups, etc.

 

Next we'd like to thank the donor individuals of either items for the auction and raffles, or donations to help with the food purchases: Tom and Maureen Burns, Ernie and Shirley Vasharesse, the Edgingtons, Sammy Jo Brassfield, Summer Kraml, Jim and Dee Bradley, Bob Rider, Linda Richmond, Janet Miley, Dan Towers and Chris Dunbar, Dean and Rita Welch, Nora Collins, Dorothy Leyrer and Marian Summerrill.

 

Our sincere thank yous go to all that gave a monetary donation just to help the family whether you joined us at the event or not. People we don't even know that read it in the paper or on a flier somewhere. There are too many to list, and due to cash donations in a jar, we don't even have all the names, but you know who you are and you know how grateful we are, to say nothing of how grateful Julie and her family are. Many thanks to those who purchased dinner tickets and were able to join us. You all made it so fulfilling and successful. Special thanks to Supervisor Denise Rushing for her support.

 

We must again thank Linda Swesey for finding us Charles Dean, our live auctioneer (owner of Lake Appliance in Middletown), and for organizing both the silent and live auctions and all the raffles, and John Zimmerman, musician, for playing for us far into the night when he had only committed for three hours, and our bartenders Barbara Higman and Irma Rivera, who kept up with the crowd and never faltered.

 

Lastly, we must thank our “crew,” who planned, passed out fliers, visited merchants, decorated and cooked and cleaned up and bought tickets and donated items and dollars to boot: Grant and Elaine Berringer, Claude and Kathleen Soones, Betty Ekelmann, Irma and Ron Rivera, Kathy Tanner, Mari Roth, Mike and Barbara Higman, Fran and KenYoung, Bonnie Walker, Everett and Linda Swesey (and her assistant Lyn Ringuette), Mary Flanders, Max Lay, Jerry Edgington and Helene Montgomery.

 

Helene Montgomery is a member of the Keys Club Board of Directors. She lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.