Auctioneer Doug Gimbel brought enthusiasm and energy to the evening’s auction of retired BRLT preserve signs (photo by Bob Crink)
On the evening of August 4, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) hosted a fundraising event in support of its conservation and public access work. The event, dubbed Celebrate! Signs of Conservation, included a fully catered evening with live music and dancing, as well as a special auction of retired BRLT preserve signs. The evening proved popular, selling out with 160 guests in attendance. BRLT raised $34,251 in profit after expenses during the evening, and all of this despite the very high costs of food and rental goods this year.
As attendees arrived, they enjoyed signature cocktails sponsored by AE Ceramics under the tent with panoramic views of Hodgdon Cove and the fields of Oak Point Farm. Once everyone was settled in with food and drinks, beloved local auctioneer, Doug Gimbel, got the evening rolling with a rousing auction of BRLT’s retired preserves signs. The auction, sponsored by First National Bank, J. Edward Knight & Co, and Tindal and Callahan, included 22 retired signs as well as a handful of smaller items and experiences. Gimbel drew on anecdotes and stories as well as his sense of humor, at times even breaking into song, to imbue the auction with energy and enthusiasm, and the audience responded! The auction brought in $28,500. It may come as no surprise that the sign which sold for the highest bid was Porter Preserve, Boothbay Region Land Trust’s first public nature preserve and arguably its most popular. The Porter Preserve sign sold for $4,000, while six other signs sold for $1,000 or more.
Following the success of the auction, Portland band Champagne Casanova, sponsored by Pine State Beverage and Midcoast Hospitality Group, broke the party open with covers of well-known hits that got the crowd on its feet and dancing. Hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and an open bar were provided all evening by Seacoast Catering & Lobster Bakes. After two years in which the pandemic prevented BRLT from hosting events of this scale, the atmosphere under the tent was certainly celebratory. Local photographer Bob Crink captured the merriment (a full album of photos is currently viewable on the land trust’s Facebook page).
Boothbay Region Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization which relies on fundraising and donor contributions to support its annual operations, including the stewardship of 26 public accessible nature preserves and over 35 miles of hiking trails throughout the region.
Portland Band Champagne Casanova got the audience on their feet and dancing with a lively performance of hit cover songs. (photo by Bob Crink)
Attendees Rudy Jordan, John Jordan, Stephanie Jordan, and Marianne Reynolds (photo by Bob Crink)
Attendees Kate Horgan, Philippe Villard, and Chip Davison (photo by Bob Crink)
Liz and Jim Duffy with their Boothbay Region Land Trust sign purchased during the auction (photo by Bob Crink)
