Leelanau Conservancy announces raffle: culinary NYC weekend with Mario Batali
From staff reports
Mario Batali loves Leelanau County and is again offering a great opportunity to raise funds for farmland preservation this year. On tap, a one-of-a-kind raffle for a culinary weekend of a lifetime in New York City. The winner of the 100-ticket raffle — and five of his or her friends—will enjoy a prize that includes salumi and wine tasting and dinner at Otto; a six-course tasting menu at Mario’s flagship, Babbo, cooked and served by the chef himself. The prize also takes in a behind-the-scenes tour at Eataly along with an olive oil class and lunch at Pizza/Pasta at Eataly. To defray travel expenses, the winner will also receive $6,000 in cash.
“Michigan is my second home — my sanctuary away from my hectic life in New York City,” says Batali. “My family and I are in love with the land, the lake and the farms of Leelanau and I’m honored to help raise money to help it stay protected and beautiful so that future generations can enjoy it as much as we do now.”
Only 100 tickets will be sold and they are priced at $1,000 each. (If six people go in together to purchase a ticket, the cost per individual comes down to $166 per person to enter). Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 27, and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. They will be available at the Conservancy’s office at 105 N. First Street in Leland or may be ordered over the phone at (231) 256-9665. Interested buyers may also fill out a Raffle Entry Form found on the Conservancy’s website and fax the completed form to (231) 256-9693.
The winning ticket will be drawn at the Leelanau Conservancy Picnic on August 2nd. The winner does not need to be present and tickets are not transferable. Raffle rules and a complete description of the prize may be found on the Conservancy’s website: www.leelanauconservancy.org.
“We imagine that six people will go together with others to buy one ticket, which brings their cost down to $166 each,” says Faught. “Or, a group may decide to buy more than one ticket to increase their odds of winning,” adds Faught. “All proceeds from this raffle will help protect farmland in Leelanau. So even if you don’t win, you’re still a winner if you help to protect working family farms and our agricultural heritage.”
Mario Batali has been involved with the Leelanau Conservancy’s Auction since 2005. “Mario is incredibly generous with his time and we are very fortunate that he cares so much about our cause,” adds Faught. “Right now we have three farm projects pending where we need to raise $620,000 in matching funds in order to receive $1.1 million in Federal Farm and Ranchland Protection project grants. Everyone who participates in the raffle will help us get there and the winner will be in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
