Erie Street Market transformed for Ottawa Hills event

There is always something to do in Toledo, including fund-raisers. Here are just few of the fun ones:

Keith Brooks did his usual magic and transformed the Erie Street Market hall with pushcarts, umbrella tables, and centerpieces of fresh fruits and vegetables for the Ottawa Hills Green Bear Ball "Unity in our Community" Saturday night.

More than 400 revelers sipped cocktails and nibbled tapas, then dined on delectable edibles at the International Market Fare provided by Gladieux Catering.

Of course, going to market means shopping, and there was plenty to purchase at the silent and live auctions. A Goldendoodle puppy captured hearts, then went to the home of Chuck and Susan Stein for $1,700.

Tracy Sandberg, left, chats with Clare Hylant and Robin Isenberg at the Green Bear Ball at the Erie Street Market.

A treasure chest filled with luxury items created excitement, too. Guests bought keys for $25 each and one lucky key opened the chest. But, oops! There was a little more excitement than expected when a key broke in the lock. Fortunately, things were resolved and Dagmar and Howard Stein were the winners of the chest valued at $4,000, which included Dom Perignon, crystal Baccarat champagne flutes, a dinner certificate for Diva restaurant, and a getaway night at Walden County Inn in Aurora, Ohio, with a Jaguar to drive there and back. A shopping spree at Sophia Lustig Shop, Michael David LTD, Harold Jaffe Jewelers, and Scarpe was included.

Carol and Wayne Williams won the drawing for a Lifetime Booster membership.

All that great food and shopping got guests dancing the rest of the night away to the sounds of the East River Drive Band.

The ball is the school's major fund-raiser. This year, the proceeds, about $85,000, will be used to renovate the Elementary School playground, reports chairman Lisa Silverman. Assisting her was a committee of volunteers, including Linda Haigh, Nora Longthorne, Beth Rotman, Peggy Herman, Julie Morissette, Cari Stevens, Michelle Denner, Jeannie Erikson, Robin Isenberg, Carol Sargent, Kristine Hoffman, Kate O'Connell, Sandra Chestnutt, Becky Hauck, Julia Trickey, Maggie Mohan, Karen Berry, Michelle Joseph, Sonja Baehren, and Heidi Glosser.

IT'S OFFICIAL: March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. A proclamation from the City of Toledo was presented by former first lady Amy Finkbeiner during the Women Against MS luncheon March 16 hosted by the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the National MS Society.

Some 240 ladies gathered at Gladieux Meadows for the event sponsored by Serono and Biogen pharmaceutical companies. Since all but $119 postage was underwritten, anything gathered that day was all profit, which led to a net of $12,000.

Guest speaker David Lander, who has MS, talked from the heart and made guests laugh in spite of the serious topic.

Mr. Landers, better known as Squiggy on Laverne and Shirley, was diagnosed with the disease in 1984. Since then he has become an advocate for others facing the disease and stresses the importance of early detection and sustained treatment.

He was honored last year with the first Gift of Laughter Award for inspiring fellow MS patients through comedy. He signed copies of his book, Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody.

Event chairman Suzanne Carroll Witherell was all smiles and thanked everyone for their support, especially the more than 20 table captains.

DROVES of curious people have stopped by the new Petit Fours Patisserie & Cafe in Perrysburg. For owners Karen and Bob Lucas, the food service business is a new venture in their lives. Visiting the new shop during the open house were Delia and John Longthorne with his mother, Tuck; Brigid and Kevin O'Neal, Debbie and Tom Monagan, and Liza Hirzel and her son, Jake, from New York City.

Also spotted in the crowd were Libby and Dick Ruppert, Judy Reitzel and Dwight Osterud, Yuval Zaliouk, LuAnn and Larry Croy, Meredith and Ryan Sherman with their new twins, Kathy and Sev Joyce, Dorothy Price, Pat and Jim Appold, April Barrow, Tibble Foster and her daughter, Page, and Ann Zachman.

IDENTITY theft was the topic of conversation at the Toledo Bar Association Auxiliary luncheon March 15 at Belmont Country Club. Guest speaker Mike Goetz, a retired Toledo police officer, provided an interactive presentation on how to protect one's identity. Among the guests was auxiliary president Nancy Robon, who invited members of the Academy of Medicine Alliance and the Toledo Dental Alliance to attend.