"Butterfly Kisses – A Night of Pouring Generosity” Fundraiser Event Benefits the Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund
May 11, 2021 06:06PM ● By Garth Francis
All photos by Garth Francis
Usually, I do not take courtesy buses to fundraiser events, but this one ("Butterfly Kisses – A Night of Pouring Generosity” by The Lee Association of Remarkable Citizens) sounded like a fun group would be attending. So, I met the group at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Estero with the likes of Stephanie Davis, Will Prather, Terry Tincher, and other great folks. Off we went - due East to the Misty Morning Barn at Clutch Farms way out in the country.
We were attending an evening with wine and food to raise money for the Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund. Lori’s husband and family created the scholarship in her honor. Lori Carroll-Collins used a wheelchair and was a huge fan and supporter of the L.A.R.C. and what it does for those with special needs.
The dust rolled in with us as our bus pulled up and we climbed off to join a crowd sprinkled around nicely dressed tables in front of a beautiful weather-beaten barn. I chuckled at the irony as the crowd milled about in a pasture with tuxedo-dressed servers offering deviled quail eggs with caviar, balsamic and fig caramelized onion jam tartlets, among other culinary delights.
With their motto: “A night of pouring generosity to benefit the Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund” the event got underway. This was a five-course pairing featuring a 30-minute meet and greet with sixth-generation winemaker Clay Mauritson, founder and owner of Mauritson Wines in Healdsburg, CA, and Chefs Mike and Karen Gavala of G3 Catering, Gloria Jordan of La Trattoria Café Napoli, and Norman Love of Norman Love Confections.
“April 17th is hereby proclaimed Lori Carroll-Collins Day,” proclaimed Fort Myers mayor Kevin Anderson from the hayloft of the barn above where everyone was assembled. And with that announcement, the barn doors opened to tables covered with linen, wine glasses, and flowers. There were twinkling lights hanging from front to back with long draped-back ivory curtains creating luxurious pageantry.
As advertised, the pours were not shy and no, neither was the generosity. Kellie Burns, with NBC-2, was the emcee for the event and hoisted a glass into the air. The hands and numbered paddles rose - eight thousand from a man at this table, ten thousand from a woman at that one, it went on for a while. Meanwhile, people were checking bids on their cell phones they were making on a silent auction being held in the background of the event.
Fort Myers attorney, Sawyer Smith stood at the front of the crowd and passionately encouraged people to give. “They gave from their hearts,” Smith said afterward, “they weren’t bidding on the vacation or diamond necklace, he said, I had them give from their hearts. (Donations were estimated to be more than $85,000 by the time Smith was done!)
The crowd quieted as dinner was served: “butterfly salad”, followed by American red snapper, then braised short ribs (that fell apart with your fork,) capped off with a chocolate raspberry treat by Norman Love that silenced the barn! Now usually at $500 a plate many would have let you go home hungry or dissatisfied – not at the Butterfly Kisses event, there were smiles across every table. And at the end of the night, the event netted $214,000!
Remember I said I do not usually take courtesy buses to events? Well, the bus got mysteriously stuck behind some tree about 150 yards from the barn. Luckily, Kellie Burns was heading toward the hotel and graciously took 5 others and me back to our cars.
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