The Cayman Brac District Committee of the Cayman Islands National Trust hosted a very enjoyable and successful fundraiser this past Saturday 26 January.  The small but adaptable Trust House at the end of White Bay Road on the north side was the venue for a capacity crowd. The Octopus’s Garden Party theme set the mood for the evening with sea creatures for decorations overhead and along the table tops to give the illusion of a celebration under the sea.  As the entry gate opened, the D. J. Mark Knowlton hit the play key starting the music and opening the Silent Auction and food service.  Guests dined, danced and perused the auction items to a tropical beat.  The crowd filled the cool night air of the outdoors with laughter and friendly conversation in the fortunate absence of mosquitoes thanks to MRCU.                                    

The Committee’s chairman, Chris Randall welcomed the crowd and explained the mission for the evening. Proceeds benefit the District Committee’s Habitat Protection Fund for the purpose of preserving environmentally important areas of the Island.

Dhallchand Seeram chaired the Split the Cash Raffle and announced the winner’s name before moving the agenda into the next stage of fundraising.

The D.J. changed hats as he became the event’s Auctioneer due to the unfortunate absence of our resident professional. Live Auction items were presented in a series of lively exchanges with  the audience.  A wide variety of inventory included Shimano Rod and Reel, Kayak, Dirty Joke Necklace, perfume, pest control services, a 2-day getaway in Little Cayman, Champagne set, a high-quality adult tricycle and many more items and vouchers ranging from the unique to everyday necessities.  Contributors from all three islands, businesses, Trust Members and residents gave generously tantalizing the crowd into opening their wallets wide.

Following the Live Auction, the music played on while the Silent Auction’s final bids were made.

Afterwards, the fun continued while guests mingled and revelled in their successful bids.

Cayman Brac’s District committee prides itself in producing such events with a minimal impact on our environment.  No plastic utensils, cups or tableware are used.  Old-fashion dish washing of glassware, dishes and metal utensils and feeding the soldier crabs table scraps reduced our waste production to 1 large bag of trash for a crowd of around 100 people. 

The Committee wishes to extend their gratitude to everyone who contributed to this successful fundraiser. Contributions in many forms led to reaching our financial goal. These include donations to the auction, members and friends from the community who prepared food and its service, setting up and closing down, guests and members who attended, buying event tickets or raffle tickets.  All these made the workload light and filled the coffers allowing this dedicated group to continue our environmental mission. 

Winter fundraisers have been scheduled for the long weekend in Cayman Brac for many years now.  It  has become a Brac tradition to host a large winter event at this time and utilize the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June for a more localized theme raising awareness for an annual membership drive with a lighter emphasis for fundraising efforts.  Mark your calendars for plans to join us and participate in our future events.