Swing dance combines fun, great buys

Imagine hiking with the Von Trapp children, staying in a super luxurious suite at the Russian Ritz-Carlton near Red Square, hunting in South Africa or enjoying a weekend getaway to Flathead Lake Lodge.

Would your child enjoy a fire truck ride, in full firefighter regalia, to breakfast and then to school? How about a birthday party with miniature horses and a rental jump house on a 40-acre farm?

All those adventures and many more go up for auction during a night of swing dancing, raffles and grazing at a dessert buffet at the Sixth Annual Lighthouse Christian Home Swing Dance Benefit Friday night.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell; the dance that starts at 7 p.m.

“It’s our largest fundraiser for the lighthouse,” executive director Shirley Willis said. “We do have to fundraise for 40 percent of our operating costs.”

She said the benefit is mostly about the community having fun and building relationships with the home.

Located on North Somers Road, the Christian farm-based home provides independent living for 12 adults with developmental disabilities. With assistance from staffers, residents live with control and choices in their lives as they tend cattle, care for chickens, garden, cook and clean.

Willis said Lighthouse residents have been taking swing and line dance lessons in preparation for this year’s festivities, putting an extra emphasis on dancing to B.J. Lupton’s Swingin’ On High Big Band.

“We’ve also been dancing to the Wii — it’s a blast,” Willis said. “They even got me up there.”

The women residents have their gowns chosen and look forward to a day of pampering at Souci & Souci Hair Design just before the big evening. The staff volunteers each year to give residents the works.

“It’s their night to shine,” Willis said. “We encourage people to come and just have fun.”

A dance contest near the beginning of the event gives guests a chance to compete or vote with contributions into the jar of their favorite dancers. Winners become king and queen for the evening.

About 250 people turned out last year.

Willis and Development Director Lynn Taylor expect the event to grow this year with all the traditional popular features and some new ones such as the McGough & Co. contribution of a $1,500 diamond that someone will buy for just $50.

McGough & Co. jewelers will set the real diamond and 50 cubic zirconia into jewelry in look-alike boxes.

“We’ll sell each box for $50,” she said. “At the end, we’ll announce the box number of the real diamond.”

Other auction items give guests a chance to buy things they need anyway such as tires, a mammogram and other medical services. For a $5 ticket, a swing dance guest may win half of up to $5,000 in the “Share the Blessing” 50/50 raffle. Volunteers began selling tickets in December to build the pot for splitting when sales end at the close of the event.

Other donated auction packages include several restaurant meals as well as golf, rafting, airplane and helicopter rides, collector coins, art, birthday parties, sailing and fitness programs.

“We have an awesome community,” Taylor said.

She said that people in the valley have contributed more than $40,000 in items to help raise money for the Lighthouse Christian Home benefit. Along with the South African hunt and luxury Russian Hotel packages, the auction also offers Glacier Park adventures,

The Flathead Lake Lodge weekend getaway comes via a treasure chest as part of a pie auction that Willis called a traditional part of the benefit.

“We auction off four pies,” she said. “A key is taped to the bottom of each pie. One key opens the treasure chest.”

 Lowell Bartels of WestMont serves as one of the auctioneers. Bartels, well-known for his work for people with disabilities, adds a lot of fun to the benefit and gets the bids rolling, Willis said.

“He definitely adds gets people involved,” she said. “He’ll get down on one knee and say, ‘It’s only earth money!’”

Advanced reserve tickets at $30 are available at Bigfork Drug, Snappy Sport Senter and McGough & Co. Reserved tables for eight cost $200. Tickets are available at the door for $40.

For more information, contact the Lighthouse Christian Home at 857-3276.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.