Try your luck at the PVCC 7th annual fundraiser

If you are lucky, you may go home with a piece of Saratoga history, or a vacation in St. Croix, Saturday night at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC).

A round oak table, used in the Palace Hotel Dining Room, has been donated to the seventh annual Platte Valley Community Center Foundation’s fundraiser auction.

In 1903-1904, the Palace became the second hotel built in Saratoga. The table was in the hotel’s dining room until 1936. The hotel, established by Charles and Barbara Mitwalsky, owned the table which remained in Barbara’s possession until her death in 1960.

In 1964, Snead Davis purchased the dining table. Her niece, Susannah Borg, thought the dining table should remain in Saratoga and has donated it to the auction.

A week-long vacation in St. Croix has been donated to the auction for the second year in a row.

Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet-style dinner featuring gourmet pizza at 6 p.m. and the live auction beginning at 7 p.m.

Joe Elder, the PVCC director, advises purchasing tickets before Saturday night as 32 tables are sponsored; leaving only a few seats for individuals.

“Last year, we sold 18 or 19 tables,” Elder said.

“It presents a problem of space, but it is a great problem to have,” Elder said. The fundraising committee is working on how to arrange the tables for the silent and live auction so that everyone is in the same room.

Once again, local restaurants are stepping in with the culinary skills and generosity to the fundraiser by providing the food for this year’s theme “Lucky 7”.

Elder said the restaurants donate the food for the event to make it affordable for anyone who wants to come.

The restaurants presenting the gourmet pizza and side dishes are The Hotel Wolf, The BearTrap Cafe, Platte River Pizza, Bella’s Bistro, J.W. Hugus and Company, Duke’s Bar and Grill, Sweet Marie’s Bakeshop and the Saratoga Resort and Spa Silver Saddle Restaurant.

Elder recommends people dress for a fun atmosphere. “It’s not a Vegas atmosphere, more of a luck and charm atmosphere,” Elder said. There will be some four leaf clovers, some casino items. “People can dress to the theme,” Elder said. “I heard that some people are.”

People will also have their chance at the roulette table, but with a twist - a wine pull. For $20, people can try their luck and see if the chance at the roulette table will get them a bottle of wine or shooter. Valley Liquors is providing the liquor for this event.

This is Elder’s first year planning the fundraiser and he said he is really enjoying it. “The fundraising committee has been great to work with. They steer the process and put in a lot of time and effort,” Elder said. “They are guiding me through and I am learning as I go.”

One more thing that Elder hopes to fully implement this year is utilizing the Great Giving Software that the community center purchased two years ago. “It has never been fully utilized and we are hoping to streamline things this year.”

Attendees names will be input in the computer and they can swipe their credit card for their auction purchases when they check in. Elder said this should make checkout easier at the end of the evening.

“It will also help us keep track and help us to ensure that everyone gets recognized for participating,” Elder said.