Lawn Party set to break records

With so many delicious options, sometimes it’s impossible choosing to eat at just one restaurant. Once a year, however, you don’t have to make that choice. Why choose just one when you can enjoy samplings from 36 restaurants at the Gourmet Lawn Party Dec. 5?

The Lawn Party is the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and the 36 restaurants participating will be the largest number in its five-year history.

“It’s eight more than we’ve ever had,” event chairman Michael Garey said. “We have 13 establishments who haven’t participated before, so there’s going to be a broader flavor component to this year’s event.”

The Lawn Party has received $36,500 from 17 sponsors, also a record number.

“They’re 17 great community-minded businesses,” Garey said. “We can’t thank them enough.”

Last year, tickets were $25 in advance, and tickets for the $20,000 raffle were $100. This year, a ticket for both is $50. Every ticket this year will include reserved seating.

Six hundred tickets have sold, and Garey hopes to sell out at 1,200. An additional 247 raffle tickets have been sold.

“With the raffle being more accessible to everybody and everybody who attends the event being in on the raffle, there should be a lot of excitement for it throughout the day,” Garey said.

In addition to the raffle, new this year will be a silent auction, with prizes such as stays at various hotels, a new set of golf clubs, wine and golf and complimentary lunch at the Longboat Key Club. Team Renick, a real estate agency that is the platinum sponsor of the event, will offer a free listing package in which it forgoes its commission.

Nick Karpathy, a recent Kiwanis Club scholarship recipient, will be performing jazz and classical music with his band at the entrance.

Like previous years, the Blues Pig Band will perform.

 Garey hopes to net a total of $80,000 — $12,000 more than last year’s record $68,000. Proceeds from the event will go toward various local children’s charities and the Kiwanis Club’s scholarship fund.

“What I’m most looking forward to is some time in August seeing the smiles on all the faces of our scholarship recipients,” Garey said.