On Sept. 10, at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a generous community opened their hearts and wallets to raise over $31,000 at the second annual Concert and Fundraiser that was held to benefit Veggies to Table.

“These funds will help us expand our vital work toward alleviating hunger in our community, said Erica Berman, executive director of Veggies To Table. “A huge thanks to Cliff Thaell, Georjean Machulis, Donna and Denny Denniston and John Schindler for choosing us as the beneficiary of the event and for their many hundreds of hours of hard work which made this event such an incredible success.”

Guests entering the filled-to-capacity Bosarge Lerner Education Center were greeted with colorful bouquets of fresh cut flowers made from Veggies to Tables’s bountiful gardens. Food tables were laden with delicious hors d'oeuvres and bartenders poured Oxbow beer and French wine donated by Vineyard Road Wines through Pine State Trading.

The lush harmonies of Waldoboro’s “No Spring Chickens,” original songs by local singer songwriter John Schindler and with world-class fiddling by Howie Carlough combined into an upbeat, heartfelt, down home, optimistic concert to entertain the enthusiastic audience. Anemies Sneideman said, “The music was just great! It set the mood for the whole evening!”

After the concert the auction began with flurry of bidding as Doug Gimbel motivated the crowd to bid on an array of items all donated by generous patrons including an electric bike by Pedego in Boothbay Harbor, a night at the Topside Inn, gift certificates from Boothbay Craft Brewery and Bred in the Bone Restaurant, a private farm tour and dinner at the Veggies to Table farm, a night in a Seguin Treehouse, a Beekeeping Experience with Barters Island Bees, including a beehive cake by Wildwoods Bakery, a Brad Betts painting, and another by John Seitzer, a year-long online pastry course, a year-long subscription to the Alliance Française du Maine, a handmade bowl by Allison Evans, cases of wine from Pinkham’s Gourmet Market, Foraging at Veggies to Table, and a night at the Tipsy Butler in Newcastle. Guests also donated to pay the equivalent cost of food for couples and families for a week, a month or a year. The highest donation was $10,000 which can pay for food for a family of four for one full year.

Andrew Robertson of Nathan’s Pharmacy, one of the many contributors, said, “Our family enjoyed every moment of this heartfelt event.”

Additionally, many businesses donated door prizes that everyone had the opportunity to win: Treats in Wiscasset, Dunton’s Dog House, Sherman’s, Farm 23, Pinkham’s, Crossroads Coffee, Goranson Farms, Footbridge Brewery, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Alliance Francaise du Maine, Betts Fish Fry, Veggies to Table, Rising Tide of Damariscotta, Red Cup Coffeehouse, , Shannon’s Unshelled, Bet’s Fish Fry, Mainely Poultry at our Farmers Market, Water Street Kitchen and Bar, Betsy DeGroff, and the Alliance Française du Maine.

The event would not have been a success without the contributions of those who provided the food, drink and donations. We enjoyed food from East Boothbay General Store, Mine Oyster, Broad Arrow farm, Boothbay Harbor Hannaford, Barters Island Bees, Gail Dudley, the Dubnik’s, Oxbow Beer, Vineyard Road Wines, Oxbow Beer, Pine Street Trading and Camden National Bank.

“Our intent was for every penny of the money we raised to go directly to Veggies to Table, so we worked hard to get everything donated. From the wine to the toothpicks, almost everything was covered by donations. I think that people who bought tickets and attended the event like knowing that the money that they spent went directly to feeding local families,” said Donna Denniston.