CLEARLAKE >> About 200 people dined, drank and danced their way into the night at the 17th annual “Step Into Spring” fundraiser Saturday at the Clearlake Senior Center.
The event, sponsored by the Park Study Club raised money for scholarships for seniors at Lower Lake and Carle high schools. It included dinner, wine tasting, an art show, local musical acts, dancing and both live and silent auctions.
For the first time, the event featured a nationally-known entertainer, Michael Davis from the East Bay. Davis presented a half-hour of comedy and juggling that had the audience actually laughing out loud. Among the items Davis juggled were bowling balls, knives, swords, axes and balloons. Oh, and the eggs, not all of which made it intact through the show.
Davis has performed on Broadway and has appeared on television, including on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Dick Cavett Show, the Smothers Brothers Second Show and Saturday Night Live.
Although Davis was the star of the night, in the realm of talent, he was challenged by the Lower Lake High School Jazz Band and the Lower Lake High School Show Chorus, who performed during wine tasting and the silent auction.
The Show Chorus sang and danced their way through a number of classic rock and R&B tunes, including the 60s hits “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Help” and the magical Motown hit, “My Guy.” Two of the troupe also performed a pretty decent Moonwalk — that absolutely delighted the audience — to the sound of the Michael Jackson hit, “Black and White.”
Ken and Ruth Von Haesler drove up from San Jose just for the event. Ken Von Haesler’s mother is a member of the Park Study Club. “I’m just out having fun with family and friends,” he said. “This is a great event because it supports high school kids.”
Ruth Von Haesler said she planned to bid on at least one cake during the live dessert auction and also said she looked forward to dancing later in the evening, to which her husband simply groaned.
The live auctions, including desserts, featured guest auctioneer and Third District Supervisor Jim Steele, who fit the part well in blue jeans and a black cowboy hat.
In keeping with the local high school theme at the event, dozens of cakes, pies and other sweets donated for the dessert auction were baked by the Lower Lake High School sophomore class. Many of the teens who made the sweets were on hand to walk with their dessert through the audience as the item was up for bid.
Interestingly, when the bidding started, the desserts were going for around $20 per item but after Steele had the students who made the items identify themselves and walk their items through the audience, the bidding jumped dramatically, to $75, $85 and even $100 per item.
Although these are unofficial figures, the homemade dessert auction alone raised about $1,200. The total amount raised through the various auctions Saturday night topped $4,000. And that amount does not include ticket sales.
Also, there was an art display by students of Lower Lake High School under the direction of instructor Lauren Schneider.
The night’s live auction featured nine gift packages that included a six-course European brunch for six prepared and served by Bill and Diedra Cagle that went for $820, a wildflower tour by mule-drawn wagon for four people at the Eleven Roses Ranch in Long Valley that brought in $280, and a magnum of 2006 Volcano Ridge Eruption wine from Brassfield Estate Winery that sold for $120.
Another live auction highlight was a 1950s metal public school desk with a lift-up top that was refurbished and embellished by the art class at Lower Lake High School that had a high bid of $105. The live auction brought in a total of $2,045.
Also raffled-off was a chainsaw redwood carving of a blue heron created in 2015 by Lakeport artist Mark Colp.
Diedra and Bill Cagle of Middletown were at the event and were pleased their dinner auction item garnered the highest bid of the night. Diedra Cagle is a member of the Park Study Club.
“This is a great event and every year it gets bigger, better and more diverse,” Bill Cagle said. “And it’s all for a good cause — scholarships.”
The dinner featured smoked tri-tip, roasted potatoes with bacon, Southern-style braised local greens, a blue cheese and kale salad with walnuts and sweet rolls. It was prepared and served by students in the Yuba-Woodland College Culinary Arts Program’s Aromas Cafe in Clearlake.
Wine for the event was provided by Cache Creek Vineyards and Winery, Fults Family Vineyards, Gregory Graham Wines, Langtry Estate and Vineyards, Laujor Estate Winery and Rosa d’Oro Vineyards.
The night ended with dancing to the classic rock sounds of the LC 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.
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.
