Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
April 17, 2008 issue
Makoto’s Tops List of Fundraisers
Story by David Brewer
If you dined in one of a number of local eateries on Tuesday, April 8, and your server seemed a bit clumsy but very happy to be at work, he or she was probably one of the dozens of people who helped make the third annual Celebrity Serve charity fundraiser a rousing success.
A grand total of $45,273.56 was raised for the High Country Soccer Association’s Field of Dreams project, that will eventually result in the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. According to former HCSA president Fay Binning, the complex should be graded within the next 30 days, followed by four to six weeks of turf and drainage installation.
“We have a soccer tournament the weekend of August 9 and 10, so we hope to have it ready,” said Binning.
Binning and others affiliated with the HCSA were thrilled with the outcome of the fundraiser.
“I didn’t know what to expect. We had a great day and it was a lot of fun,” said Binning. “This is a very giving area.”
In addition to collecting tips from the celebrity servers and donating 10 percent of their food profits for the day, some restaurants boosted their bounty by hosting silent auctions. At Makoto’s, ASU Defensive Line Coach Mark Speir hosted an impromptu live auction for a coveted ASU-Michigan game ball.
Binning started the bidding on the ball during lunch at Boone Drug, taking the hot item around to various restaurants before it settled at Makoto’s for the dinner shift. After the dust settled, Clearwater, Fla. resident Rich Phelps’ wining bid of $10,000 gave an enormous boost to the final tally. Makoto’s led all restaurants, raising more than $20,000.
Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse made an extremely generous donation Samaritan’s of more than $8,000. Graham commented that his children play soccer and many of his employees’ children play soccer as well, so he felt this would be a great way to donate to the children in the community.
Woodlands and Pepper’s came in behind Makoto’s with the second- and third-largest totals. Other participating restaurants included Bandana’s, Beef O’Brady’s, The Bistro, Blimpie’s, Café Portofino, Casa Rustica, CiCi’s Pizza, Dan’l Boone Inn, Highlands Blowing Rock, Los Arcoiris, The Peddler and The Red Onion.
Several additional raffle and auction items sold at various restaurants fetched more than $5,000 in addition to the football and restaurant proceeds.