A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of those who made our 20th Anniversary Beer & Wine Charity Event a huge success. First, we’d like to thank Midnight Sun Service Dogs (MSSD) for allowing us to raise community awareness for such an amazing cause. The service dogs brightened everyone’s night even further and we couldn’t be more proud to shed a light on this fantastic organization. We are ecstatic to announce that through all of the generous donations, the Beer & Wine Charity Event raised over $11,000, which is more than enough to raise and train 2 service dogs!
It made us proud to see so many different organizations and people coming together for this event and we are simply overwhelmed at the generosity of our community.
We also want to personally thank everyone here at Diamond Heating and AirTemp Alaska for their amazing support and community outreach. Guys and gals, we couldn’t have done this without all of you!
A special thank-you goes out to Kelly Andrews and Scott Higbee of O’Malley’s on the Green. They both went above and beyond to make this a top-notch experience. In addition to the over the top service, the food was also fabulous. Two huge hits were the scrumptious bruschetta and the smoked salmon mousse— both, widely raved about throughout the evening. Not to mention the wines, from Winestyles, paired with the decadent chocolate desserts!
The stars of the show, undoubtedly, were the 3 service dogs and their handlers in attendance. It was an educational and enlightening experience that touched attendees’ hearts beyond belief.
One such believer, was the Sons of Amvets Post 2. Having already donated $250 prior to the event, President Chris Murphy, and Vice President Mike Gagne, presented a check to April Getty of MSSD for $2250. But that’s not where this story ends. These guys were so touched by this cause, that by the end of the night, they spontaneously gave an additional $2500 check— simply from the heart. This $5000 donation is enough to raise and train one service dog. Gracious is an understatement!
The silent auction was an experience unto itself. It was captivating to watch everyone hover over each table, keeping a mindful eye on “their items”. These friendly bidding wars amounted to $4300 in proceeds.
The outpouring from the community in support of the event leaves us grateful to be living amongst such a supportive community.
Event Team Leaders Tammy Wilson and Marsha Lawton along with their team of volunteers from the Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary #4207, and Diamond Heating & AirTemp Alaska’s Kara Solsvig and Laurie Rawls were all so instrumental in making this an event that’s going to be tough to beat!
Many thanks to the Pineapple Express Band, comprised of active military from Joint Based Elmendorf-Richardson, for the great music as well as Gerri Brittain for donating her services as the event photographer and Winestyles, for providing wine tasting and the wine tree.
This event struck a chord in us that we’ll never forget. We hope to see you all for our next event!
If you missed an opportunity to participate in the event but would like to learn more about this cause, check out www.midnightsunservicedogs.com. Also, donations can be made directly to Midnight Sun Service Dogs at:
Midnight Sun Service Dogs
PO Box 771394
Eagle River, AK 99577-1394
(907) 250-7252
info@midnightsunservicedogs.org
Non-Profit Tax ID: 45-3415653
