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Business & Tech

Trenton Rotary Gets Up by Gettin' Down

Winter Beach Blast provides early summer fun and raises funds for Trenton Rotary charities.

Have you ever wanted to ride along with a police officer during a regular shift? Are you ready for a vacation to an exotic destination? Or are you sick of winter and need some summer fun?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the fourth annual Winter Beach Blast is the place to be. The Trenton Rotary Club invites everyone to attend starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 at Crystal Gardens in Southgate.

Rotarians design the event to provide a one-night winter getaway close to home while raising funds for up to 50 Rotary-sponsored charities. Attendees are encouraged to wear Hawaiian or other beach attire.

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The party room will have a beach theme, complete with thatched umbrellas provided by Wes Mator of Labadies Patio Furniture Outlet, palm trees and dozens of tropical balloons featuring “tiki gods, land sharks, parrots, palm trees, coconuts and pineapple drinks.”

“It’s a cool event,” said Beach Blast Chairwoman Timber Baun-Crooks, a Trenton Rotarian and councilwoman who owns Timber’s Hair Salon. “We get people who come for the first time and keep coming back. And the money raised goes right back into the community – that’s what I like.”

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The night includes a full dinner served buffet style and a premium bar. Entertainment features music by T.J. Monte and performances by members of the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center (DYPAC). Attendees can enter limbo and Hula Hoop contests and win the prize for the best beach attire.

Throughout the night, guests can participate in prize drawings, raffles and live and silent auctions. Among the items expected to be available during the live auction include the use of vacation condominiums in Cabo San Lucas and Florida – plus a four-hour ride with a Trenton police officer and a practice gun shoot at the police gun range.

The silent auction will feature more than 100 items, including themed gift baskets, sporting event tickets, artwork and collectibles.

Baum-Crooks said that the “Coconut Cash” reverse raffle is back by popular demand. The raffle was introduced during last year’s Beach Blast and sold out quickly. The $20-a-ticket raffle offers a 1-in-200 chance to win up to $2,000.

She said among the new Beach Blast additions this year will be a “cash cube,” in which “money blows around and you get to grab money for 20 seconds and redeem it for prizes or cash.”

Also new this year will be a big dessert auction in which local restaurateurs and bakers will provide the goods.

“Every year, we do something different,” Baum-Crooks said. “It’s always gotten better. The nice thing is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a fun time…”

Tickets to the Beach Blast are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Tickets for a table of 10 guests can be purchased for $300. To obtain tickets now, contact Valerie Dzagulones at 734-671-2505.

Creative sponsorship opportunities are available as well, ranging from the $1,000 “Big Kahuna” major sponsor offering to a $125 “Lifeguard” event patron sponsorship. Complete sponsorship opportunities are available at www.winterbeachblast.com or from Kathy Kane at 734-676-9561.

Those interested in donating auction items can contact Carol Crumpton at 734-675-4721.

All proceeds benefit such causes as the Trenton Food Pantry, the Christnet homeless shelter operation, local tree-planting projects and the annual event that was just held at the Westfield Activity Center. A full list of organizations that have received assistance from the Trenton Rotary Club can be viewed at the club’s website, www.trentonrotary.net.

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