Relay for For Life of Sevier County and Harpoon Harry’s Crab House presented the second annual Night of Hope on Tuesday evening, October 25, 2016. This was my first Relay for Life event and it won’t be my last. Volunteers work hard in the fight against cancer so it is one of the most important causes that one could join. Here is what it was like.
Janice and I arrived at little after the 6:30 start time and got all the information from our hostesses. The main thing for me to learn— the raffle tickets. There were both live and silent auctions which were easy and fun. In fact, Janice later won horse statuette for her granddaughter.
The upstairs part of Harpoon Harrys can be open air in good weather. It was a great place for an event!
A nice selection of gifts on the silent auction. I had my eye on the gift certificate from Oak Haven Resort, but let someone else get it (since I am already a monthly member there.) It was tempting!
We heard the music of Stephen Goff playing as we entered the room. I remembered him from the October Art Happening in Downtown Sevierville. Must see him again soon! Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stephengoffmusic/
Let me say that I have never eaten at Harpoon Harry’s before, but it was pretty incredible. Consequently, my girlfriends and I will now go there for our Christmas get-together since Janice and I get two votes. I have not heard of a ‘welcome table’ but it is the best idea of the year. To start the evening, this was the menu:
Sushi platter- various rolls
Fruit, veggie, cheese, & cracker trays
Peel and eat shrimp
Crab legs
Cocktail crab claws
Cole slaw
Krab salad
Please know that this was the best spread of cuisine ever! The $50 ticket price stopped right here for me. There was a lot of seafood to enjoy!
Seasonal decorations and the ‘dry ice’ effect in the glasses. Festive!
Kevin Ownby and his mother, Beverly Ownby, supporting Relay for Life.
Kevin’s wife, Brooke Ownby, and her mother Louise Presley supporting Relay for Life of Sevier County .
One of the auction items was a Palm Breeze Cruiser, donated by Cherokee Distributing Company. If there is another one next year then I must bid!
This is part of the ‘Tuesday Night Sushi Group’ that meets at Harpoon Harry’s on Tuesday evenings. I must investigate this further some day. Pictured left to right: Fane Fisher, Eddie Fisher, Matt Converse, and Chuck Ottolini. They say that some of the sushi chefs here came from the former Shonos Restaurant in downtown Knoxville. You know that will be good. Save a place for me!
Mayor Bryan Atchley gave a riveting talk about his experiences with cancer, both personally and with a loved one. It must have been harrowing. I can see where the Relay For Life group gives hope to those fighting the dreaded disease. We need to support them as much as possible.
We joined the Tuesday Sushi Group and enjoyed the rest of the evening. They know sushi!
The dinner buffet was ‘over the top.’
Tenderloin tips
Moonshine glazed salmon
Oven roasted chicken
Mashed potatoes
Rice
Baby Carrots
Corn
Green beans
Dessert: Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownie
In my opinion, the meal was worth double the ticket price that I paid. Unbelievable.
Chocolate, anyone?
Sophia Conerly, lead event Chair, making announcements. What a great job this team does. Their devotion to the fight against cancer is inspiring.
Margit and Earl Worsham, pictured here with Sophia Conerly, supporting Relay For Life.
Who wants to play corn hole? These sets auctioned well.
The drawings were fast paced and fun to watch.
If I owned a cabin then these would be on my walls right now.
Sevier County Bank supporting the Relay For Life Night of Hope. (My bank!)
My favorite surprise of the evening—meeting Jim Bates, pictured here with Mayor Bryan Atchley. Jim Bates is the father of James and Jeremy Bates, S.C.H.S. alumni. He is visiting from Tampa. I heard Mayor Atchley introducing Coach Bates and had to meet him at the end of the evening. As an intro, I asked,”Are you James Bates dad?” So nice to meet him!
Janice Sorrell and Jim Bates were teaching at S.C.H.S. at the same time. Janice said that she remembered that he was a young coach straight from U.T. (I won’t mention the year, but the school was very new then.)
It was soon time to go. I noticed that the weather was still warm for late October as we passed by the open windows at Harpoon Harry’s Crab House. It was such an easy, relaxing, enjoyable event. It is a must-do event each year for me from now on.
The Relay For Life Night of Hope completely exceeded all expectations and I look forward to attending next year. In addition, I hope to do more to help this group in their efforts to fight cancer. Ultimately, the theme of the evening was bravery, dignity, and survival. They deserve everything that we can give them.
You can’t do any better when you are out and about in Sevierville…
Out and About in Sevierville 