Mario Batali New York raffle unveiled at Leelanau Conservancy annual picnic
From staff reports
The Leelanau Conservancy will hold its annual Picnic and Auction on Thursday, Aug. 2 at the Newton Farm overlooking the Manitou Islands on Jelinek Road. The 100-acre farm near Gills Pier was permanently protected by the Leelanau Conservancy in 2004. The picnic begins at 5 p.m. and features a silent and live auction, as well as pre-picnic field trips, a Kids Tent and a short program that includes recognizing the Conservancy’s “Volunteer of the Year” and “Business Supporter of the Year.” A local foods-focused meal will be served, along with local wines. Tickets are $30 for adults until July 30, when the price increases to $35. Tickets for Kids Tent children under 12 are just $5.
“The Picnic is a wonderful gathering of people who love the work that the Leelanau Conservancy is doing to protect a place they care very much about — Leelanau County,” says communications director Carolyn Faught. “We are expecting about 800 people to come and celebrate what we’ve been able to accomplish together. Our staff and committee have put together some great pre-picnic field trips including hikes at Clay Cliffs. Our sponsor, Chevy Volt, will offer test drives from 4 to 5 p.m. It’s going to be a great local foods celebration and exciting auction with a lot unique, can’t-buy-it Leelanau experiences.”
Among them: A morel hunt and gourmet dinner for 12, two-day camping trip to South Manitou, a cycling tour, and a one week’s stay in a Fishtown Shanty. A cooking class for six with Guillaume of La Becasse, a week’s stay in a Santa Fe Villa or Breckenridge Ski home and a weekend at a New York penthouse are also on tap. The live Auction will feature an insider’s tours tour of Washington, D.C. and a Golf’s First Major Package for the 2013 Tournament in Augusta, Ga.
Also planned is the much-loved Children’s Tent for ages 3 to 12 which will be supervised by staff from the Leelanau Children’s Center. There will be the ever popular Legos and crafts; new this year is a nature scavenger hunt for kids led by staffer Jenee Rowe. “We love to see young families getting involved with the Conservancy as they are the future stewards of our peninsula,” says Rowe.
The auction will kick off with a fun exercise to award a door prize comprised of a great selection of locally grown products. The evening will culminate with the raffle drawing for the Mario Batali Molto Big Apple Weekend in New York City. Only 100 tickets will be sold — and as of press time only 10 tickets were still available. “It’s going to be exciting to see who wins this culinary weekend of a lifetime,” says Faught. “We’re grateful to Mario for all he does to help raise awareness about the Leelanau Conservancy. He really cares about Leelanau County and its future. The raffle will raise $100,000 for farmland preservation.”
For more info on the picnic, the Mario Batali raffle, and the auction, visit LeelanauConservancy.org or call (231) 256-9665.
