More than one way to support museum through annual Celebrity Island Dinner
While tickets to the annual Celebrity Island Dinner to benefit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum may be close to sold out, there is still a chance for the community to offer its support.
Marking its ninth year, the gourmet dinner featuring island celebrity servers will take place on Oct. 1 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Traders on Sanibel. Museum Assistant Director Melanie Moraga explained that only a small number of tickets were still up for grabs as of Sept. 14, with another sell out anticipated.
“About 130 tickets were available,” Moraga said of when sales first opened.
For those who missed out, there is another way to support the museum and fundraiser.
She explained that this year’s five celebrity servers – well-known faces around the islands who have donated their time for the event – are each collecting donations through the museum’s website.
“They can go online and follow the link to the dinner, and they’ll see each of our celebrity servers’ names,” Moraga said, adding that people can donate in $10 increments to their preferred server or pick the “Waiter Tip” option for an unspecified server.
“That’s how the celebrities promote themselves beforehand,” she said.
The monies raised will support museum initiatives like the Adopt-A-Class fourth-grade field trip program and new Mollusks on the Move program, which brings the field trip to the classroom.
“All the proceeds from the evening benefit our children’s educational programs,” Moraga said.
The celebrity server lineup this year will include Joey Almeida, Mary Bondurant, Robin Cook, Liz Podolsky and Robin Roberts. The servers typically dress up in costume and entertain the crowd.
“They walk around, they mingle with the guests,” she said.
While they do not actually serve the food, they help out by grinding pepper and such.
“They sometimes will give you a free gift if you tip them,” Moraga said.
Almeida, co-owner of Joey’s Custard, is participating for the second time.
“He’s very enthusiastic,” she said, adding that Almeida volunteers with the museum’s educational programs and his mother was a server a few years ago. “He’s following in the footsteps of his mom.”
Bondurant, who may wear her mermaid costume again, is with Kingfisher Real Estate.
“She’s always fun,” Moraga said. “She’s been doing it for awhile.”
Robin Cook, executive vice president and wealth advisor with The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company, is another regular volunteer for the fundraiser.
“She does it every other year,” she said. “She is a wonderful supporter of the museum. She always comes in full costume.”
For Podolsky, of the Pfeifer Realty Group, it will be her first year as a celebrity server.
“She’s a Shell Ambassador for the shell museum and she volunteers for our fourth-grade Adopt-A-Class field trip program,” Moraga said.
Robin Roberts is planning her costume around the junonias that marine biologist Rebecca Mensch and the museum were loaned earlier this year as part of a research effort to learn more about the species.
With RE/MAX of the Islands, she is marking her third year as a participant.
“She’s also a Shell Ambassador volunteer,” Moraga said. “And she volunteers at all of our annual events, like Under the Sea.”
Selection of the servers is based on their relationship with the museum and islands.
“We try to get a variety of people that are well-known in the community,” she said.
The evening will also entail mollusk and island trivia, along with karaoke.
“This is the second year we’re doing the trivia,” Moraga said. “It was such a big hit last year.”
“It’s a fun evening,” she added.
The emcee and host will be Paul Gulbrandsen, of Heidrick & Co. Insurance.
“He did it last year, as well,” Moraga said.
Tickets for the fundraiser cost $75 each and include the dinner, with beer and wine.
“We’re just asking the community to come together and support the museum and our local celebrities, who are volunteering their time to support and benefit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum,” she said.
For more information or to donate, visit online at www.ShellMuseum.org.
There is a waiting list for those interested in obtaining tickets if any become available. For more information, contact Moraga at mmoraga@shellmuseum.org or 239-395-2233, ext. 13.
The shell museum is at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel.
Traders is at 1551 Periwinkle Way.