Longboat's Lawn Party returns following hurricane hiatus

One notable absence felt in the wake of last year's hurricanes was the Lawn Party hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key. This annual event brings together restaurateurs and community members to enjoy tasty bites and drinks while raising funds for the Children's Guardian Fund.

Now, it's back and, according to organizers and attendees, better than ever.

Attendees packed Ken Thompson Park on Dec. 6, meandering among the more than 30 participating restaurant booths to fill their trays with bite-sized delights.

Danielle Gladding, president of the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key, said she was touched to see how so many supportive organizations and residents went above and beyond to make this year’s celebration spectacular.

“The excitement was over the top for this event and for supporting the kids,” she said. “Everybody wanted to do something. We organizers were taking credit card payments, and so many people told us to add this or that donation.”

She estimated attendance to be about 3/4 of the event’s 1,000-person maximum capacity. Considering the tradition that started 30 years ago was once simply a collection of tents and picnic blankets arranged in the parking lot of Temple Beth Israel, it is stunning to see how it has grown, she said.

Kiwanis past president and Lazy Lobster co-owner Michael Garey has been a longtime organizer of the event, and Gladding said she was grateful for the support of him and fellow restaurant owners as she took up the leadership role this year.

While Kiwanians are still calculating the final total funds raised, Gladding said they surpassed their goal with the central 50/50 raffle totaling more than $36,000.

She said raffle winner Frank Martucci planned to donate his winnings back to the club. Martucci initially was in disbelief that the congratulatory phone call telling him he won was legitimate.

“He bought two tickets at the last minute, and when my daughter, Allison, called him, he said ‘That’s not funny, you shouldn’t joke,’” Gladding said. “We had to put Chris Sachs on the phone to tell him he won.”

After members finish tallying the total, the club plans to present a check to the Children’s Guardian Fund, which supports foster families in a multitude of ways, at its Jan. 22 meeting.

Gladding said a significant contributor to this year’s success was the quality of the food vendors provided.

“I’m just so grateful to our community for coming out and supporting this event,” she added.

Lonna Smith and Tim Hellige said it had been a few years since they attended the Lawn Party. But when they heard shortly before the event it would be coming back, they wanted to check it out.

"It's fabulous this year," Smith said. "It's very social. We are locals, but it doesn't feel like there's a divide between tourists and locals. We're all just part of it, connecting with the people who own these restaurants."

Some of the crowd's favorite bites included a butterscotch bread pudding offered by Pesto Bistro, accompanied by a scoop of Tyler's Gourmet Ice Cream vanilla bean ice cream. Also among the favorites were Lo' Key Island Grille's signature seafood chowder, Ocean Prime's ahi tuna tartare, and Kacey's Seafood & More's seafood gumbo with andouille sausage, among others.

Diners also highly praised the jerk-spiced ahi tuna from The Resort at Longboat Key Club, this year's diamond sponsor.

Lo' Key Island Grille general manager Courtney Rossler said this may be the first year the new restaurant has participated in the Lawn Party, but considering how long she has worked with Garey, she is proud to be a long-time supporter.

"I think it's one of the best events of the year, if not the best," she said.

Prior to the 50/50 raffle drawing, Garey invited all Kiwanis members up in front of the crowd to thank them for all of efforts in putting the event on. Volunteers worked from 8 a.m. until the late afternoon setting up and taking down the event.

Attendees shared their appreciation of the new elements this year, including an art tent featuring the works of local artists Lynn Armstrong Coffin, Marie Therese Lacroix and Collin Rowland.

Also new this year was the club's ability to offer craft cocktails in addition to beer and wine.

To keep up with next year's activities, visit LBKLawnParty.org.

This story has been updated to include information fundraising results.