ESCANABA — I’m taking the opportunity in this column to share information with Daily Press readers and our guests who are joining us tonight about the Chamber’s Fire and Ice Midwinter Fundraising Gala presented by OSF Healthcare. This year, in celebration of the new decade, our Fire and Ice event will honor the 1920s.

The doors at the Terrace Bay Hotel will open at 5 p.m. Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed, and your coats will be checked by cheerful volunteers. Your name is already on our guest list, so you are not required to show a ticket at the door.

The Ambassadors of Delta County will escort you to your table where you will find a place card. The color notes your menu choice and the number is your Roaring $2020 Door Prize Ticket. Be sure it is visible for wait staff know the meal you’ve ordered. It is also what gives you a chance to part of the $2020 cash prize. Five lucky guests will walk away with a cash prize of $1000, $500, $300, $110, or $110.

Once in the ballroom, you will experience the fire and ice transformation of the Terrace Bay Hotel, with decorations graciously sponsored by Dobber’s Pasties and Anderson, Tackman & Co.

As you stroll around the Terrace Bay Hotel ballroom, you will be served a glass of Champagne sponsored by Bink’s Wine & Beverages, Key Realty and Schneider, Larche & Haapala and have the chance to view many opportunities to win fabulous prizes donated by our incredibly generous Chamber members.

The Fire & Ice Bucket Raffle will be set up to the right (lake side) of the band stage. You will have the option of placing the blue raffle tickets in buckets of choice for the indicated prizes. Bucket Raffle tickets are just five for $10 or 30 for $50.

Nearby you will find our Silent Auction Items. Use your name to bid, taking notice of the suggested bid increments. A last call for Final Bids will be called just before dinner.

Within the ballroom, you find the “Speakeasy Deck of Cards” Raffle. Pay $20 and pick a card ~ one lucky winner will be sure to Have a Roaring Good Time at the 20|20 UP State Fair when they walk away with a UP State Fair prize package valued at $500. The package includes two adult weekly passes, four youth weekly passes, four Skerbeck mega bands and swag!

No prohibition here! Order a specialty cocktail: Bees Knees, Gin Rickey, Ward Eight, French 75 or Mary Pickford. Don’t forget to stop by the instant prize booth near the Terrace Bar for the “Feathers and Fedora” drawing. For just $10 you can select either a Bright colored Fedora or Feathered Headband that will have a number matching a prize valued at $10 or more. Once the instant prizes are gone, this will be the location of our Fire and Ice Photobooth, sponsored by Taylor, Lord and Hughes Insurance, to capture the memories in a picture strip that will be printed or emailed to you after the event.

Live auction descriptions will be on display near the podium of our master of ceremonies, Mitch Taylor of Taylored Weddings. Be sure to check them out so you are ready when the bidding begins. A special thank you to Pioneer TV & Appliance for helping to display our auction items on the big screen.

Get ready for a fabulous dinner served by the wait staff of the Freshwater Tavern. Once dinner is served, the winning red ticket numbers for the 50/50 (6 for $10) and blue ticket numbers for the Fire and Ice Bucket raffles will be drawn and announced.

After dinner and a delicious dessert sponsored by Terrace Bay Hotel and The Island Resort & Casino, the LIVE Auction gets underway with our award-winning auctioneer, Colonel Dan Samson. Your purchases support ongoing Chamber services and each year the winning bidders walk away with fantastic prizes at great prices! Special thanks to our Auction Sponsors- Community Foundation for Delta County, Delta County EDA, Peninsula Federal Credit Union, Stewart Manufacturing & Upper Peninsula Power Company.

The Peninsula Federal Credit Union bankers will be ready to receive your payment for your purchases – accepting cash, check, MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express or direct billing. No need to worry about bringing cash, we’ll send you an invoice after Fire & Ice.

The final drawing of the evening is for the ROARING $2020 Door Prize. All guests are eligible with the purchase of an event ticket.

After all that excitement, the only thing left to do is dance the night away to the musical stylings of the band Passion. The evening’s entertainment is proudly sponsored by Enbridge Energy.

Fire & Ice provides the funding to carry out the community promotion and economic development programs of the Chamber. The “spirit” of our community demands a high level of activity for the coming year, and we are grateful for the continued support of our gala event.

If you aren’t planning on attending this year’s gala, I hope I’ve painted a picture of a “Roaring Good Time” and that you will consider putting it on your calendar next year!

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Sheila Krueger is assistant director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce