LAKEPORT— Mark and Tammy Lipps from The Ripe Choice Farm located at 2550 Soda Bay Rd, Lakeport said of their catered fundraiser this past weekend, “The goal is to be a noisy, fundraiser for local non-profits; introduce our community champions in a unique setting, letting their hair down off the dais, outside of their scope.”
Inspired by the celebrity Youtube channel where famous people such as Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon get extra spicy while eating chicken wings in various degrees of heat, the event Saturday afternoon featured such local Lake County luminaries like Laura Sammel, CEO/Lake County Chamber of Commerce and president of the Lakeport Rotary, Andrew White, chief of the Clearlake Police Department, Tina Scott, supervisor, District 4, Bruno Sabatier, supervisor, District 2, Chief Jeff Thomas, Lakeport Fire Department, Brian Martin, Lake County Sheriff, Brock Falkenberg, Lake County superintendent of schools, Moke Simon, supervisor, District 1 and representing the Pomo Indians.
The event was also catered by Saw Shop Public House and Lakeport’s Tiny Diner and according to Mark Lipps, Valley Long Farms featuring at Pepper Portal selling and educating attendees on the vast assortment of organically grown peppers and their organic pepper products. A silent auction also took place featuring a variety of delicious desserts, weekend stays, dinners, autographed 49ers jerseys and many other items. “This will not be your parents’ fundraiser,” warned Lipps and given the expressions on the diverse participants and the unique nature of the proceedings, he appears to have been proven right. Record-Bee contributing photographer Joshua DeLawrence was there to capture images from throughout the evening.
