The Friends of Lake Panorama’s sixth Beach Ball fundraiser is Friday, June 16, at the Lake Panorama National event center. Twenty tables of eight now are filled, with another five pending. Attendance will be capped at 240 people, so those interested are encouraged to finalize their plans by June 1.
All seating will be in the LPN banquet room, with tables tastefully decorated by volunteers using a common nautical theme. Registration will be at 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., with a buffet dinner served beginning at 6 p.m. The menu includes pork loin, chicken, Church Lady potatoes, garden salad, fresh mixed vegetables, dinner rolls, and peach cobbler with fresh whipped cream. Beverage service offering coffee, tea and water is included with the meal. There will be a cash bar.
There are several options for those interested in attending the event. Members of the Friends Beach Club provide additional financial support to Friends of Lake Panorama beyond the cost of the meal. Prices for Beach Club memberships are:
Friends Beach Club - Premier: $700—includes table sponsorship, eight dinner tickets, name in the 2023 Beach Ball program; Friends Beach Club - Couple: $250—includes two dinner tickets, name in the 2023 Beach Ball program; and Friends Beach Club - Sponsor: $150—includes table sponsorship, name in the 2023 Beach Ball program.
There will be a limited number of individual meal tickets available for $50 each. The 2023 Beach Ball will include a 50/50 raffle, and both live and silent auctions.
A few items already committed for the live auction are a set of four passenger car tires for any vehicle, up to a $1,400 value, donated by Scott Politte, president of Stivers Ford Lincoln of Waukee; a Cyclone football package for the Sept. 23 ISU vs. Oklahoma State game, which includes four tickets in the ISU Athletic Director Suite with Jamie Pollard, food and soft drinks during the game, and a parking pass; custom made pendant necklace donated by Ames Silversmithing; football and basketball signed by ISU coaches and donated by Jay and Sue Merryman; and a six-course gourmet meal for six with wine pairings, prepared and donated by Bill and Karen Fitzgerald.
The silent auction will feature several gift baskets filled with local products and donated by local businesses; gift cards; three bottles of InGeniOz Vodka donated by Hans Van Leeuwen; set of custom WeatherTech floor mats, any make and model, donated by Stivers Ford Lincoln of Waukee; and two bluebird houses, one for Iowa State University fans and one for University of Iowa fans, handcrafted and donated by Steve Brannan.
Funds raised at this year’s Beach Ball will support enhancements to a trail system on Lake Panorama’s south shore. Funds also may be used for additional low-impact recreational amenities on the south shore, which are under discussion between Friends of Lake Panorama and the LPA board of directors.
For those who can’t attend the Beach Ball, yet want to support recreational enhancements on the south shore, tax-deductible donations can be made by check payable to Friends of Lake Panorama, and mailed to Friends of Lake Panorama, PO Box 488, Panora, Iowa, 50216. Donations also can be made through Venmo @Panorama-Friends, or by credit card on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org.
Additional items for both the live and silent auction are needed. As of May 1, reservations were at about two-thirds capacity, leaving room for perhaps 80 additional participants. Those interested in becoming a Friends Beach Club member, purchasing dinner tickets, or donating items for the live and silent auctions, can contact Susan Thompson, thomcomm@netins.net, 515-240-6536.