Silo Ridge - Millerton News
10/23/2008 - ‘What a night' at Silo Ridge for food drive fundraiser
Millerton News
‘What a night' at Silo Ridge for food drive fundraiser
By CORY ALLYN
10/23/2008
AMENIA — The ballroom at Silo Ridge is a big place, but that didn't stop the 380 attendees from spilling out into the hallways and onto the dance floor during last Saturday's annual Sunday in the Country dinner dance.
Just a little background: "Sunday in the Country" is the tagline associated with many different local fundraisers and events that raise money for a plethora of food pantries in the Tri-State area. Sunday in the Country was originally a radio show hosted by "NASCAR" Dave MacMillan on Q103 FM in Lakeville, Conn.
Since then, NASCAR Dave has branched out from broadcasting to become a legendary local figure who has been at the helm of or involved in many fundraisers. He has also moved over to Robin Hood Radio in Sharon, Conn.
The Silo Ridge dinner dance is one of Sunday in the Country's biggest annual events and last Saturday's was the third annual. The idea for the night was the brainchild of Linda and Jack Gregory, local disc jockey Joey Devito, Kathleen Kelly and Q103 morning show host Thia Tarrab. NASCAR Dave and Rob Caeners, general manager of Silo Ridge, were contacted and were both more than happy to help out.
The dinner dance has been a wildly successful fundraiser, as Silo Ridge donates both the space for the event as well as all the food and the first hour of drinks. With no expenses to cover, 100 percent of the money raised (there is $20 per plate entrance fee, as well as raffle sales and individual donations) goes toward the food drive for local food pantries ($20,533 was raised last year).
"We can't think Silo Ridge enough," said the Gregorys. "They are an integral part of operations. "
"Oh, we hardly did anything," Caeners scoffed as he joined the group. "If you look and see all the hard work that the Gregorys have put in, that NASCAR Dave has put in, all the volunteers that have donated their time and energy, what Silo Ridge has done is minuscule. "
And so the light-heartedness and passing off of responsibility went on throughout the night. Every person manning a table or organizing a raffle or giving a speech had a million people to thank for putting the night together.
"I love this," Caeners remarked. "It just feels like such a team effort and it's great to be giving back to the community. "
Dinner was served first, including turkey, prime rib, salmon and pasta dishes, followed by several large cakes. DJ "Joey D" kept the party going and the dance floor filled throughout the evening, which lasted until 11 p.m.
The night's sole somber moment came during a "Tribute to the Troops" slide show presentation. Immediately following that, Commander Sergeant Major Robert Jenks handed out coins of excellence to the many people responsible for putting the night together and for honoring both the soldiers and giving their time and service to the community.
People came out from as far away as upstate New York near the Canadian border, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
"It's an excellent turnout, and we can't thank the businesses enough who donated all the items being raffled away this evening," Linda Gregory said. "It's always the same; we sell out every year. It never ceases to amaze me that people come out in these numbers for such a worthwhile cause. It does your heart good to open up your pocketbook and donate to a charity like this. "
The Millerton News caught up with NASCAR Dave (after giving him a weekend to recover from the festivities), who said he couldn't have been happier with the end results.
"Now, I was worried about our numbers this year," he said. "The economy sure isn't what it used to be, and I knew it was going to affect the dinner dance. After everything was tallied up, I deposited $15,563, which is a lot better than I had hoped for. We still have a few other donations that are coming in, so I think in the end the dinner dance will have raised about $16,000.
"There are literally hundreds of people I could thank," he said. "The whole event wouldn't have been possible without Silo Ridge and Rob Caeners and the Silo Ridge staff. And everyone that really had a hand in starting this event and bringing it together should be singled out, too: Jack and Linda, Kathleen, Thia. And you can't forget Joey D. "
NASCAR Dave finished off with a report on the pantry and the various Sunday in the Country fundraisers.
"We just received a check for the Washburn Memorial Golf Tournament for $3,000," he stated proudly. "Right now, with all our events, we're sitting on a little over $20,000. "
All Sunday in the Country money will help provide for families in need during Thanksgiving and Christmas. MacMillan seemed confident that the current available funds would be sufficient to cover Thanksgiving.
As anyone who knows NASCAR Dave can already guess, there is no time for rest and several more fundraisers are already on the horizon. A chicken cookout will be held Nov. 1 at the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and on Nov. 8 the Cub Scouts will host a spaghetti dinner.
"We're collecting until the first of January," MacMillan said. Donations can be sent to Sunday in the Country Food Drive at PO Box 789 in Millerton, PO Box 446 in Lakeville, or checks can be dropped off at WHDD Studios on Main Street in Sharon.
"The pantries are hurting this year," he worried. "Every one is in the same predicament. Some are closing their offices several days out of the week; they've run out of food. Others have sign-up sheets for the holidays that are already completely full. Anything the public can help with is appreciated. It makes one feel good when you think about what we do for local families in need of assistance. "
And what role will Silo Ridge play in the future of Sunday in the Country?
"Hey, as long as the building is still standing we'll be hosting the dinner dance," Caeners replied, referring to the proposed renovations to the resort and the fact that the ballroom would be torn down to make way for larger facilities. "Maybe we'll have to figure out a temporary location while building is going on. But as soon as the new one is up, we'll be right back at it. "
© Copyright 2008 by TCExtra.com
