The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum holds annual Under the Sea gala
Tickets are nearly sold out for the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum’s annual benefit.
The event, which started over 10 years ago, has become the museum’s largest fundraiser for its educational programs. Tickets for this year’s Under the Sea gala are $150 per person and include food, which will be catered from Webster’s; an open bar; raffles; a live auction; and music.
“To make it more fun, we’re having food throughout the museum, it’s not a sit-down dinner,” said Dorrie Hipschman, executive director of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. “We’re going to have seared sirloin, red grape truffles with goat cheese and pecans, mini crab cakes and braised beef short rib. We’ll have something for everyone.”
The live auction will be hosted by Eric Pfeifer and Nicole McHale. Some of the offerings include wine pairings for four at Il Cielo; a beach walk for 10 with brunch by the Sanibel Catering Company and Piper-Heidsiek Champagne; a deck party with wine and appetizers for 25 at Cip’s Place restaurant; a “Girls’ Night Out” Pearl Necklace Party for 10 at the museum, a seafood dinner for six catered in the winning bidder’s home by Chef Teh of Timbers and a gourmet brick oven fired pizza party for 25 served at the winner’s home.
A fund-a-need auction will also take place, allowing individuals to donate to programs that appeal to them.
Hipschman said her favorite aspect of the event is the mix and mingling of the different museum donors.
“The energy in the building is fabulous. We have so many donors who never meet each other and we have so many volunteers who are very involved in one program and they never see the people during the other programs. I love the mix of bringing people together and having them see all the facets of what the museum does. For me, that’s a really fun part of the evening,” Hipschman said.
Some of the sponsors that add to the success of the event for this year include the Sanibel-Captiva Trust Company; Jane and John Henshaw; Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts; the Island Sun; The Islander; Malone Design; Bailey’s General Store; Pete and Nancy Bender; Dennis and Gretchen Delman; Doc Ford’s Sanibel; Richard and Barbara Hansen; Island Inn; John Grey Painting; the Law Office of Janet Strickland; Sue Ann Pirsch; Stewart and Sons; Phyllis Sharp; Bank of the Islands; Heidrick Insurance; Jensen’s Marina; Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank; Stroemer & Company, CPA’s; Shaun & Laura Shaffer; BrightStreet Group; Congress Jewelers; Island Vacations of Sanibel & Captiva; Philip Financial Group; Omni Financial; Bean, Whitaker, Lutz and Kareh, Inc.; Tenji; Clair Beckmann; Benchmark Construction; Intech Printing and Melanie Moraga Photography.
For tickets, call Hipschman at (239) 395-2233.