Lake County >> The Lake County Land Trust hosted more than 125 people at its annual dinner on Saturday. The event is an opportunity for land trust supporters to gather, socialize and honor members of the community for their contributions.
Marymount California University (MCU) Lakeside Campus in Lucerne was the setting for this year’s dinner and silent auction and guests had a chance to see the and 1920s building, also known as “The Castle.”
The land trust Supporter of the Year honoree was Victoria Brandon. The community activist was recognized for her contributions to the Lake County Land Trust by serving on the organization’s lands committee and for her many other contributions to the community, including her activities with the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club, her work on the Cache Creek Watershed Forum steering committee, the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee, the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee and as a member of the Tuleyome Land Trust’s Board of Directors.
Brandon was presented with a plaque from the land trust and a Congressional certificate from Mike Thompson’s office. Although Thompson was unable to attend the dinner, he made a point of asking his field representative Maira Ayala to attend. Ayala related to the crowd how much Thompson appreciates Brandon’s activities in Lake County and knows how important her contributions have been.
Preceding the dinner land trust supporters had the chance to visit, bid on silent auction items and tour the historical building that now houses MCU. Social hour music was provided by Tom Nixon and Harry Lyons. The dinner was catered by Chic Le Chef of Hidden Valley Lake. Lake County Wines were served during the social hour and dinner.
Many volunteers contributed their time and effort to presenting the dinner, including students from Kelseyville High School.
“We appreciate these students and other community volunteers very much and thank them for their help,” land trust board member Roberta Lyons said. “It was also great working with Marymount’s executive director, Michele Scully, and facilities director, Leanne Harvey.”
Guest speaker was local archeologist John Parker who spoke about “The Saving of Anderson Marsh,” which was the story of a “whole community pulling together for a common goal,” which is the theme of what much of the Lake County Land Trust pursues.
The Lake County Land Trust is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of natural habitats and open space in Lake County. For more information, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org or “like,” the land trust’s facebook page: facebook.com/LakeCountyLandTrust.
