By IRENE NOLAN
By IRENE NOLAN
The Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation’s 10th annual spring dance and fundraiser on Saturday night, March 20, at the Hatteras Civic Center was billed as a “toast to 10 years of sharing and caring.”
The dress was “Black-tie, Hatteras-style” for this 10-year milestone.
The foundation, which assists island cancer patients with their medical costs and travel expenses for cancer treatment, was founded by Hatteras Islander Laney Howell in late 2000.
The first dance was in March, 2001.
Laney died later that year of breast cancer, but the tradition and the organization she started survives, continuing the work she started here.
The gala 10-year celebration lived up to its billing both as a “toast” and as “black-tie, Hatteras-style.”
About 150 partygoers started arriving at the civic center at about 6 p.m. to enjoy several hours of socializing and dining before the 360 band started playing, shortly after 8.
The civic center was decked out appropriately and cleverly for the “toasting” with big slices of “toast” and champagne bottles hanging from the ceiling and centerpieces on the tables of toasters and wine buckets with floral touches, including lots of red roses. Lights were strung around the room and a slide show of almost 500 pictures of the foundation’s 10 years played non-stop in a front corner.
There was a champagne fountain for toasting, and the food was, as usual, plentiful and delicious. There was no “toast” on the food tables.
A table of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres was laden with steamed shrimp, oysters Rockefeller, a cheese and fruit platter, and other goodies.
On the main food table, diners could choose from dishes that included a roast beef au jus, chicken salad, mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat, Greek salad, pasta salad, grilled chicken wings with a spicy rub, and steamed green beans with an Asian-style sauce.
Much of the food was prepared by Outriggers Bar and Grill, a new restaurant about to open in Hatteras.
The desert table was a real attention getter. It featured three cakes, prepared and donated by Island Perks. Each cake was three big layers and was topped with a replica of three lighthouses – Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, and Ocracoke. The cakes were decorated with edible white chocolate seashells.
The “black-tie, Hatteras style” dress code brought folks in everything from jeans to tuxedos – and every style in between.
Many of the men and women were elegantly dressed in cocktail attire. And then you had partygoers in waders, board shorts and black tie, and women in fancy dresses with fishing boots, also affectionately known locally as Wanchese “bedroom slippers” or Wanchese “go-go boots.”
“We certainly had a cross-section of attendees from young to senior, tuxedoed to waders, dancers to watchers,” said Judy Banks, president of the HICF board. “Many cancer survivors attended and most island businesses were represented either by donating food and beverages or by attending.”
Banks said the foundation had not yet tallied the amount of money that was raised, but, in addition to ticket sales, at $50 each, a 50-50 raffle brought in $740 and a silent auction brought more than $1,000.
“As always, the Hatteras Island community is unwavering in its generosity and support for what the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation does for cancer survivors,” Banks said. “We would not be able to do what we do without that support.”
For more information on the cancer foundation, go to www.hicf.org
Contributors to the annual dance
Hatteras Realty
Graphic Solutions
Spa Koru
Marlin Club
Air Waves
Burrus Red & White
Willis Plumbing
Sunflowers Florist
Island Perks
Outriggers Bar and Grill
Island Hopper shuttle
Island Convenience
Risky Business Seafood
Mutual Distributing
Trion
Coastal Beverage
Marta Martinez
Sysco
Dinky’s
Island Garden Center
Nedo’s
CHEC
Midgett Realty
John Hooper
Andy Bowers
Heather Brushwood
Pop’s Raw Bar
Buddy Swain
Sheila Charette
Robin Jennette
Brenda Buciorelli
Bill and Chris Ballance
Crystal Blackmon
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