Kiwanis Club gears up for St. Jude luncheon

The choice could be yours: a 2010 Ford Fusion or $20,000 in cash. The grand-prize winner of the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key car raffle will choose between the car and the cash at the 28th annual Longboat Key St. Jude Gourmet Luncheon. But, win or lose, those who attend the luncheon are guaranteed one thing: lots of food.

This year’s luncheon takes place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Temple Beth Israel parking lot, 567 Bay Isles Road. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate.

The event will feature 27 local restaurants that will serve their signature dishes. The luncheon raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tenn. The raffle is a fundraiser for the Longboat Key Kiwanis Foundation, which provides scholarships for local students.

According to Tom Chipain, luncheon chairman, the raffle will also feature prizes of brunch for two at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, and dinner for two at Maison Blanche. More prizes could be added in the month-and-a-half before the luncheon. Raffle-ticket sales are capped at 350, and tickets are $100 each.
Chipain said the luncheon is a good value, with prices unchanged from last year.

“This is the best you’ll get at any of these charity events. These guys are on their ‘A’ game,” Chipain said of participating restaurateurs.
 

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS

• Ace Hardware, 4030 Gulf of Mexico Drive

• BP Longboat Key, 400 Gulf of Mexico Drive

• Longboat Key Financial and Insurance Group, 6350 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 101

• Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive

• The Longboat Observer, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive

• Lynches Pub & Grub, 19 N. Blvd. of Presidents, St. Armands Circle

• The Sarasota Observer, 1517 State St., Suite 301, Sarasota

• Sports Page Bar & Grille, 1319 Main St., Sarasota

• SunTrust Bank, 510 Bay Isles Road

To purchase tickets online, please click here