St. Jude luncheon prepares for gourmet gathering

By now, it has become a tradition. Every year, long before the official start of the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key’s St. Jude Gourmet Luncheon, a line begins to form to the right of the tent area. Eager festival attendees can’t wait for the official start of the luncheon that features signature food and drinks from area restaurants.

The 29th annual St. Jude Gourmet Luncheon will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in the Temple Beth Israel parking lot, 567 Bay Isles Road.

Tickets are already on sale for the event, and are $25 in advance or $30 at the door (see box for ticket locations).

More than 30 restaurants are participating this year, including Beach Bistro, Crab & Fin, Blue Dolphin Café, Café L’Europe, Euphemia Haye, Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant & Marina, Harry’s Continental Kitchens, Helmsley Sandcastle, Longboat Key Hilton Beachfront Resort Latitudes Beach Café, Longboat Key Club and Resort, Lazy Lobster, Maison Blanche, Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, Pattigeorge’s, Publix Super Market, Lido Beach Grill and more.

In addition, the luncheon will offer the chance for attendees to win one of three top raffle prizes. The grand prize is a 2010 Ford Fusion, or $20,000 in cash. Second prize is a three-day, two-night stay in a Beachview suite and golf for two at the Longboat Key Club. And third prize is a “Harry Potter Weekend” at Universal Studios for two days and one night and includes two park passes.

Each raffle ticket is $100; only 350 car raffle tickets will be sold.

New this year will be a Chinese auction for gift certificates to area businesses.

Luncheon proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; raffle proceeds will benefit the Longboat Key Kiwanis Foundation Local Scholarship Fund.

Platinum sponsors are Stifel Nicolaus and the Longboat Key Club and Resort. Silver sponsors are The Longboat Observer, Re/Max Excellence and Coldwell Banker. Call 383-5509 for more information. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.YourObserver.com. Search “St. Jude luncheon.”

Where to Buy Tickets

• BP Service Station, 400 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Casa del Mar Beach Resort, 4621 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Longboat Hardware, 4030 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Longboat Key Financial & Insurance Group, 6350 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• The Longboat Observer, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Lynches Pub & Grub, 19 N. Blvd. of the Presidents
• The Sarasota Observer, 1517 State St., Sarasota
• Stifel Nicolaus, 1226 N. Tamiami Trail
• SunTrust Bank, 510 Bay Isles Road

Contact Jessica Luck at [email protected].