Over 200 people came, promenaded, danced, bid, and volunteered at the Friends of Thai Daughters’ (FTD) 10th anniversary Sunflower Celebration at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor this past Wednesday raising spirits and over $60,000. With FTD’s new, grant-funded Sunflower House and the money raised from the Sunflower Celebration, more young girls at risk of being trafficked in Northern Thailand will have a life of their choosing. Over the coming year, FTD will open its doors in Chiang Rai, Thailand, to up to 15 young girls and provide college opportunities for even more.

FTD would like to thank the following people for their unbelievable hard work in preparation for and at the Sunflower Celebration: Kim and Philippe Villard, producers of the art happening and auction; Liz Evans for donating and preparing all of the food; Douglas Gimbel for an amazing auction performance; Alison Evans and Chris Fritz for hosting the VIP reception; Central Distributors and Carol and Pete Matwiczyk for the wine and beer; Sean Muir for original music and Emma Stephens for production of the event’s video; John Trees, Ryan Leighton and Mark Hensley for videography; Country Coach Charters for donating shuttle service for the event; Ralph Smith for exemplary shucking skills and oysters; ML Rapelye and Joel Levine for the flowers and elephant costume; the Villard Studios production team of Emma Stephens, Paige McKenney, Duncan Muir, Morgan Scully, Carly Erskine, Ian Ishkanian and friends; Chuck and Betty Koch, Liz Evans, Lisa Best and Sallee Glaesner for hosting us; Norumbega Oysters for oysters; Rising Tide for underwriting food; Annegret Baier and John Morrison for coordination of the entertainment; Cathy Sherrill for hosting the committee’s many visits; Welch House Inn, Flagship Inn, the Opera House and Inanna for providing discounts; Ying Richter for chef assistance; Adele Gale, Gail Nassif, Laurie Gerard and Marianne Reynolds for taking money and handing out paddles with aplomb; Kim Erskine, Pete Erskine, Kate Horgan, Elaine Cinciva, Patti Salvucci, Ellen Ishkanian, Beth Dininio and Corrie Dretler for helping in every which way; and friendly convict Chuck Koch and his nemesis Officer Larry Brown for their senses of humor.

FTD would also like to thank all of the auction donors: John Roberts at Anantara Resort in the Golden Triangle, Eric Yves-Mahe, Kate and Bob Horgan, Mark Osborn and Buzz Makarewicz at Topside Inn, Kim and Pete Erskine at Mexicali Blues, Dennis and Marty Gleason at Gleason Fine Art, Ralph Smith at Mine Oyster and Cod’s Head, Kate and Craig Muir, Lek Saruta, Maria Boord at Tidepools and Maria Boord Gallery, Jeff Curtis at Sherman’s, Margaret Canepa, Oriana Van Daele, Ned Steinberger at NS Designs, Heather Savage at Salon Capella , Susan Hodder and Michael Feldman at Welch House Inn, Tracy Trench and Patty Zinkowski, Sharon Goldhirsch at Crow Point Yoga, Franklin Cole and Judith Nightingale, Maren Olsen Howarth, Lynn A. Robinson, Alison Evans and Chris Fritz at Ae Home, Malissa Milden at Seastone Therapeutics, Kelly and Bill Campbell at Balmy Days, Max and Jenn Ross at Thistle Inn, Wayne and Joanne Moore at Weatherbird, Wendy and Paul Johnson at Red Cup, Bernie Delisle, Corrie and Tom Dretler, Dash Mashland at Oxbow Brewery, Norumbega Oysters, Best Thai Restaurant, and Hahn’s End Cheese, and Virginia Green for gift bags.

It was a community-wide effort and the FTD family is forever grateful. For more information on FTD, visit www.friendsofthaidaughters.org.