Bloomin' Bunco Event a Success

Armed in neon green plastic rolls of table covers, 200 table settings, 30-plus raffle items and well over 1,000 sweets and 30 or more volunteers for the evening, the 2nd annual Bloomin Bunco took place at Neubert Elementary to help raise money for the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry.

Two hundred smiling faces enjoyed an evening of mindless dice rolling while cheering senselessly when they rolled “bunco”.

According to Carol Platt, the chairwoman of the event, they met their goal. The team for the evening’s event just worked tirelessly over the last few months.

The raffle prizes were outstanding. One of the committee ladies went to garage sales all last year collecting baskets for the event. Now THAT’s a volunteer who loves her mission.

Carol and her team were heralded at the event with a standing ovation. Her endless energy to inspire others to help in our community makes where we live a better place.

You’ll note everyone talks about the sweets. This year was NO exception. Terri Baker made chocolate delights – chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate truffles, peanut butter bars and my favorite the cherries covered in layers of excess chocolate.

This year we calculated three to four pieces per person and we were spot on. My friends Jeanie Hookom and Lynne Grunthaner are the grand dames of visual display. They have a gift when it comes to decorating. Their artistry shows in how they decorate their cookies, set the table or decorate their homes. We usually forgo dessert but our event gives people permission to indulge.

Sugar Hills donated several trays of beautiful sweets.  Everything else was made in our kitchens.

There were homemade cream puffs, 200 sugar cookies, chocolate raspberry bars, passion salad, low fat lime cheese cake, fruit kabobs and all of Terri Bakers fine chocolates. Jeannie promised me her recipe for the passion salad because it’s really good.

See’s candy, Oh My Gosh, we had a 1 pound box on every table! They donated ALL those candies plus more to give away. You could hear squeals when that was announced along with maternal commands of, “Are you sharing that box of chocolates!”

Many of the participants were District 300 employees.  Several schools were present as teams, Marlowe Elementary from Huntley and even Saint Margaret Mary was present.

I can’t say enough about the Bunco Cabana Boys who worked non-stop to provide drinks and sell tickets all evening. They were the “Vanna Whites” of the raffle by show casing the item and delivering it to their happy recipient. They all looked spectacular in their aprons.

And I just bet you're wondering WHO won the MISS MARY bag.  Nancy Blackman who serves on the District 300 Foundation was the happy recipient.

A big thank you for the use of the facility goes out to District 300 and Dr. Darlene Warner, principal of Neubert Elementary.

It was a delightful evening filled with friends and past PTO buddies.  For recipes for the cookies visit MissMarys.wordpress.com