Gala ? elegant evening of dinner, dancing, auctions

STORY CITY ? Friends of Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp hosts the fifth annual Heavenly Night Gala 2012, beginning at 6 p.m. on Feb. 25.

This formal, black-tie-optional evening includes dinner, a live band, and silent and live auctions. Musicians this year are the Al Welsh Orchestra.

The gala, a fund-raiser for Riverside, is held at the David Hill Family Center dining hall on the Riverside Campus at 3001 Riverside Road, just north of Story City.

Gala tickets are $100 per person and may be purchased by calling 515-733-5271.

Proceeds help Riverside?s growing ministries to young and old, said Diane Schwartz, volunteer organizer for this year?s event.

This year?s live auction items include: an ISU football autographed by the ISU men?s football team and Coach Paul Rhoades inside a protective case; a Pete Tekippe framed swinging bridge photograph; Chanhassen Dinner Theatre gift certificate for two in Minneapolis; $100 gift certificate to the Heartwood Retreat in Northern Wisconsin; ISU women?s autographed basketball in protective case and Cyclone T-shirt ? ball signed by team and Coach Bill Fennelly; and a weekend use of a Ford Mustang convertible.

Other live auction items are: Four ISU football tickets and dinner; a one week stay in Frisco, Colo.; a one week stay in Estes Park, Colo; a

one week stay in the Orlando, Fla., area; two tickets, seated in the Legends Club, A, third row, to the Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals game July 16 and a weekend hotel stay near the Twins new Target Field home; five center court, third row ISU men?s basketball tickets and autographed basketball in protective case, signed by team and Coach Fred Hoiberg with an overnight stay at Grand Stay Hotel and Hickory Park gift certificate; and a hand made Viking chest based on the Mastermyrr Chest discovered in Sweden in 1936 in what was previously a Viking era lake.

The original chest was made of oak and was held together by pegs ? just as this chest is doweled together. The sides are trapezoidal so the ends slope inward at a slight angle.

Silent auction items include several baskets, such as: one with family board games; a flavors of India basket; a grilling basket; one with bath time treats; and a Richeliu foods basket.

Other silent auction items are stained glass art; studio photography certificates; four sets of Norwegian themed blank note card sets and gift tags by Swedish-American artist Jana Johnson Schnoor from Iowa City.