Fish-fry fundraiser to help keep history alive

Could the Longboat Key Historical Society Museum soon be history?

The group’s president, Tom Mayers, doesn’t want that to happen. But it’s something that board members have discussed in recent months. The museum is home to photographs, postcards, archived newspapers, books and various forms of memorabilia that tell the story of Longboat Key and other parts of Florida.

The days when money poured in are long past, but the organization’s expenses are here to stay. And although sponsorships and memberships have typically comprised the bulk of the Historical Society’s funding, members are hopeful that a blast from the past will provide some extra funding this year.

The Historical Society’s Pioneer Day Fish Fry is back, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, 760 Broadway. The menu features fried grouper and mullet, fried green tomatoes, cheese grits and two complimentary glasses of wine or beer; and the evening will be filled with music from Blues Pig and dancing.

The tradition dates back to the 1950s, when residents held fish fries to raise money for the Longboat Key Volunteer Fire Department. In 2005, the Historical Society resurrected the tradition to raise money for its programs.

Since then, the fundraiser has helped the Historical Society to raise money for ongoing costs.
The museum, located at 6826 Gulf of Mexico Drive in Whitney Beach Plaza, costs approximately $1,000 a month to keep open.

According to Mayers, the group’s bank balance is approximately $18,000, less than the $50,000 that longtime president Ralph Hunter raised during his tenure as the group’s leader, which ended in early 2006.

“We’ve pretty much been living on that $50,000,” Mayers said.

During peak season, Mayers estimates that the museum draws five to 10 visitors per day. The number drops to one or two passersby during the slow days of summer. Mayers said that some board members support closing the museum immediately, although he thinks it should remain open during season and close, if necessary, after next spring. The board has discussed the possibility of renting a storage space for the museum’s content, which would likely cost about $200 a month.

Mayers said that the group has talked about opening in an alternative, space such as Longboat Key Town Hall or Bayfront Park Recreation Center, although the town has not offered space. But the current north-end location is convenient to the group’s most faithful docents, many of whom live in the Longbeach Village and walk to the museum.

But should the museum close, this group won’t become a thing of the past. The group will continue with its speaker series, which includes four lectures scheduled for January through April at the Longboat Key Center for the Arts, a Division of Ringling College of Art and Design. Mayers has also videotaped interviews with Key historical figures, such as Hunter and real-estate historian Kent Chetlain, and posted the videos on YouTube.

“I think we provide a service for the island and the town,” Mayers said. “I think everyone agrees that the Historical Society is a good thing.”

Hot ticket
Pioneer Day Fish Fry tickets are $30 and available at the following locations:
• First Bank, 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 101
• Longboat Key Historical Society Museum, 6826 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, 760 Broadway
• Michael Saunders & Co. Longboat Key South office, 440 Gulf of Mexico Drive
• Michael Saunders & Co. Mid-Key office, 3174 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event.