CLEARLAKE >> About 200 guests drank, dined and danced for a good cause at the annual “Step Into Spring” benefit Saturday at the Clearlake Senior Center.
The event, sponsored by the Park Study Club, featured wine tasting, an art and craft exhibition, quilt display, buffet dinner, a homemade dessert auction, live gift auction, raffle, and dancing.
Most of the auction and raffle items, food, and wine were donated by local individuals and businesses. Proceed from the evening’s activities benefit the club’s scholarship fund.
“Attendance seems down a bit from previous years but it’s still a very enthusiastic crowd,” said Park Study Group President Virginia Sibbitt.
Marty Aarreberg of Lower Lake said she attends the event every year. She was the winning bidder on a six-layer red velvet cake with icing-piped roses on top. She shared the cake with the others at her table, unofficially representing the Konocti Unified School District staff.
“I’m a fan of the cake and the money goes to a fabulous cause,” Aarreberg said.
The event started at 5 p.m. with wine tasting and socializing. Lake County wineries participating in the event were Cache Creek Vineyards, Fults Family Vineyards, Gregory Graham Estate Winery, Langtry Estate & Vineyards, Laujor Estate and Rosa d’Oro Vineyards.
A buffet dinner began at 6:30 p.m., prepared by students from the Yuba College Culinary Arts Program’s Aromas Cafe and served by students in the culinary program at Lower Lake High School (LLHS).
On Saturday night’s menu were boneless pork loin, red beans and rice, winter squash succotash, bacon potato salad, hot pickled onions and peppers, cole slaw and dinner rolls.
The LLHS students also prepared the desserts for the raffle following the dinner. Raffle items included cakes, cheesecakes and cupcakes.
A live auction followed the desserts and featured 10 gift packages with an emphasis on golf, food and wine. Last year’s auction featured 17 gift packages.
The hottest item Saturday was a five-course Italian dinner for six donated and prepared by Bill and Diedra Cagle at the Park Study Clubhouse. It includes Italian wines selected by the Cagles that are paired with the food.
The package was valued at $600 with bidding starting at $250. After a much-spirited bidding war, the dinner went for $1,050. But to the surprise and delight of the guests, the Cagles agreed to prepare a second dinner and that also went for $1,050.
A carving of a red tail hawk by Jacob Lucas was the highlight of the night’s raffles and was won by Park Study Club member Carol Bettencourt.
The evening concluded with dancing to the classic rock sounds of the Lake County Diamonds, featuring Mark Buehnerkemper on keyboards, Shaun Hornby on guitar and vocals, Richard Knoll on drums, Dave Hagberg on guitar and vocals, and Dale Billester on bass.
Many of the guests stepped into Spring with a little spring in their step, dancing to the Diamond’s vast playlist that includes “Proud Mary,” “Do You Love Me?” and Roy Orbison’s classic, “Pretty Woman.”
Peter Shrive and Denise Flaherty of Clearlake were among those dancing.
“The Lake County Diamonds really make you want to get up and move,” Shrive said between dances. “Besides, we’re getting old and have to keep moving.”
The Park Study Club was formed in 1942 by eight women from Clearlake Park who met in their homes to discuss books, art, music, drama, and civic improvements. It incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1947.
In addition to high school scholarships, the group sponsors a local sophomore to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program and supports local food banks, the Meadowood Nursing Center, Hospice Services of Lake County, and Habitat for Humanity.
