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Another Successful MBI Music Festival
The Middle Bass Music Festival held July 15, 2023 at the Middle Bass Island State Park Lonz Pavillion was a great success. Great music, food, and a good crowd despite the weather! Approximately 1,500 people enjoyed the sounds of the North Coast Goats, Red, White and Blues Band, The Ark Band, and Cats on Holiday. Great food was available from the Island Grind, Deets Barbecue, and Gess Who Tacos. Heineman’s Wine and Twin Oast Brewing Company provided delicious beverages with sangria being served this year! Art demonstrations were done by Amy Houston and rock painting with Christine Tomasch took place on Lonz Terrace.
We are grateful to our sponsors of the event, the Middle Bass Dock Company, The Island Grind, Ohio Arts Council, Darkside Operations LLC, South Shore Marine, and Bass Island Charters, LLC (Inter-Island Charters.) We allso appreciate the cooperation and support from the Middle Bass Island State Park for the event.
A special thanks to Lucy Schneider for designing this year’s posters, and the following for donating time/service/in-kind donations: The Men’s Club of Middle Bass for ticket sales, Dieperink Rentals, Anchor Lane Inn, Patty Echko, MBI Volunteer Fire Department for set up and tear down help, Miller Boat Line, B and C Tent Rental, Mike Fountain, emcee Peter Huston, Laura Schanz, Lisa Green for basket sale, We had great vendors including Shannon McDonald and the LuLaRoe team, Helen Brohl, Mary Betz with Mary Bears, Jim Siemer, Becky Cantu, Middle Bass Island Yacht Club, and the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. We also appreciate the great photographs shared with us by Sully Zhao.
Conservancy member Ann Hicks signed up and managed the volunteers for the entrances as well as the t-shirt and 50/50 sales. Her son Michael was the top roving seller of 50/50 tickets for us again this year. The team of Eric Halterman, Ann Shelton, and Laura Zabak sold $1,366 in tickets for the 50/50 raffle! The winning ticket was Val Hunter who received $863. Gatekeepers Lynn and Doug Price, Jan Sadowsky, Jenny Archibald, Kathy Chamberlain, Kris and Jennifer Ganey, Lorie Zabak, Linda Rence, Kiersten Curtis, Val Hunter, Terri Cardinal, Russell Brohl, Ed Malaska, and Patty Mazanec kept folks orderly and entering quickly.
T-shirt and Koozie Sales were a good money maker-thanks to Laura Hnat, Kathryn Lucky, Danny and Lori Messmer, Joe and Joanne Grace and Cheryl Beal. We still have just a few t-shirts, hats, and koozies for sale if you need a special Christmas present.
We are grateful to Sue Ungvarsky, Teddi Keith-Morris, Cheryl and Emily Beal, and AmeriCorps intern Adrianna Burghardt for manning the LEIC table and helping to set up.
Board member Darren Dunning coordinated volunteers Mike and Matt Yako, JC Smith, Teddi Keith-Morris, Glen Schettine, Patty Echko, Valter Vidas, Nate Rettig, Halayna Startsun, Nancy Welter, Michele Meloche, Jennifer Snapp, Bryan Roth, Patty Echko, Chris Bereznay, Jane Haegger, Ed Schaffer, Jake and Alex Kerkay, Jennifer Spencer, Chuck Kiraly, Mike O’Toole, Syndney Campanaro to serve beer and wine to our festival customers. Special thanks to Patty and Dave Nuttall for getting everyone started with Heineman wine.
We thank our Festival Committee of Board member Bruce Miles, Lisa Brohl, Jane Wolnick, Darren Dunning, Ann Hicks and especially chair of the committee Board Member Colleen Kerkay for her great job organizing this year!
It was truly a beautiful day and great event and we are grateful for the support of this important fundraiser for our Conservancy. Past music festivals made possible matching funds for the Cleveland Tract acquisition (MBI East Point Preserve), the purchase of boardwalk bridges for the trail at the MBI Forested Wetland Preserve, and to match a Natureworks grant to acquire more parcels for the MBI Forested Wetland Preserve. This year’s funds will be earmarked for more Middle Bass Island land preservation projects.
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