ON THE TOWN

Once Upon a Vine supports zoo programs

Susan Conda and Doug Adams-Amman share a laugh during a dinner to benefit the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium.

THE BLADE/BARBARA HENDEL
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ONCE Upon a Vine, a dinner matched with wines to benefit the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium, started in Nature’s Neighborhood with an infused vodka tasting by Jim Moore at an ice bar with Dr. Tim Valko and continued with hors d’oeuvres and other top-shelf spirits.

Special guests were forest animals including a chinchilla and a Patagonian cavy, a large rodent also known as a dillaby. The live bee hive and leaf cutter ant exhibits were intriguing, too.

Susan Conda and Doug Adams-Amman share a laugh during a dinner to benefit the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium.

The Lodge was the setting for the gourmet dinner paired with fancy wines by Heidelberg Distributing Co. Dinner included fresh greens with berries and blue cheese, french onion soup, New York strip steak, grilled salmon or manicotti, and cabernet and berry cheesecake with berries, mint, and cabernet reduction.

Zoo CEO and Executive Director Jeff Sailer visited every table to personally thank everyone.

A short live auction was by Richard Leonard assisted by the zoo's Robin Guidera. Diane Sloan donated a zebra sculpture by Michael Sohikian of Genoa. The sculpture was sold to Doug and Kim Kearns. Other items included a cocktail party for 10 in Nature’s Neighborhood, a painting by a zoo elephant, and a cocktail party for 20 at the Wolf Cabin. And more than 50 guests donated just to donate.

The zoo’s Mary Fedderke, there with husband John Fedderke, distributed parting gifts to each guest: packets of seeds promoting the Wild Toledo Clean Water Garden. The seeds are from 25 species of native plants that help reduce water run-off, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide food and habitat for native pollinators.

Among the 100 country-club-casual-clad supporters of the zoo — who each paid $250 to attend — were Bob and Sue Szymanski, Bonnie Rankin and Gary Whitacre, Doug Adams-Arman, Lynn Miller, Sandy Drabik Collins, Emily Hord, Ken and Marja Martin, Tim Hanson, John Hadley and Sue Metzger, Linda Liber, Ann Sanford and Bryan Smith, Brent Lohmann, Susan Conda and parents Joe and Judith Conda, Elizabeth Foley and her mom Colette Foley, Jon Orser and Deborah Born, Marna and Dr. Suresh Ramnath, Karen Merrels, John and Debbie Joslin, Bonnie Rankin and her sister Jane Rankin, and Marsha Molnar.

The estimated $50,000 raised supports summer day camp scholarships for underserved children in our region, the zoo’s prairies and gardens, and the release of monarch butterflies for their annual migration to breeding grounds in Mexico.

THE 16th annual Fort Meigs For Your Y Community Benefit was at Carranor Hunt and Polo Club in Perrysburg. The room was a sea of black and white with royal blue accents as the acoustic sounds of guitarist Eddie Molina entertained.

Petite canapes were passed as the 115 guests shopped the silent auction. Grazing stations included filet of beef, chicken divan, cheeses, dried fruits, veggies, pates, mashed potato and mac ’n’ cheese bars, and sinful sweets.

Jeremy and Kara Zeisloft were the lucky winners of the raffle for a wheelbarrow full of booze and bar accessories raffle.

Jerry Anderson of WTOL-TV, Channel 11, auctioned off 13 items at a fast pace, then guests bid to donate.

Nearly $50,000 was raised for the annual scholarship campaign goal of $120,000. The campaign concludes the first of April.

Sponsors included gold sponsor Waterford Bank and Citizen Advisory Group, Laundry Express, Dowling Steel, Eastman and Smith, KeyBank, Jonathan Cousino-Gasser Bush Associates, Kingston Healthcare, Turley, Peppel and Timmers, and Angel 101 and many individuals including Jonathan and Abby Burns, Greg and Allison Frye, Vaughn and Caitlin Hoblet, Erik and Jill Ibsen, Michael and Kellie Johnson, Fred and Sharon Moor, Ron and Kacy Myers, Ben Schlatter, Dawn Schmidt, Steve and DeEtta Shives, Greg and Susan Silloway, Chris and Mary Ann Vogel, Gaven and Erin Smith, Jeffrey and Jennifer Stopar, Adam Szuch and Whitney Wasielewski, Brad and Lisa Toft, Deb and Rick Thielen, event chairman, and more.

Seen were Chris and Kerry Decker, Gary and Rachel Resnick, Scott and Amy Steele, Lane and Chris Williamson, and Jeff and Sarah Bucher.

CIGAR box centerpieces of succulent plants and vases of lemons, limes, and oranges set the scene at the Premier Banquet Hall for Havana Nights with the Rotary Club of Maumee in memory of Chuck Oswald.

Cocktails and a silent auction were followed by a tasty dinner with chocolate lava cake for dessert.

Emcee Dan Wakeman, president and CEO of St. Luke's Hospital, assisted Mr. Anderson of WTOL-TV, Channel 11, with the live auction. There were also games of chance: Lucky Luggage, Take Your Pick raffle, and a lottery ticket tree raffle.

Among the 372 attendees were club president Scott Mosher, Victoria Valle, Sharon Trabbic, Walt Churchill, Rob Shick, Do Nguyen, Doug Welch, Kathy Tate, Sharon Skilliter, Doug Howard, Cari Jennings, Jennifer Kiernan, and Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp.

The $100,000 was raised for charity projects according to event chairman Michele Free. Thanks go to numerous sponsors including William Vaughan Company and Huntington Bank.

Barbara Hendel is The Blade's Society Editor. Contact her at bhendel@theblade.com or call 419-724-6124.