The hors d’oeuvres have been finalized, the music selected, and the wines pulled, all in preparation for Wilton Library’s 18th Annual Ladies’ Soirée, being held Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7:30-9:30 p.m.. The theme of this year’s event is “Celebrating Women in Literature.”
According to Library officials, only a limited number of tickets remain; for the past few years the fundraiser has sold out several days before the event, and tickets are not available at the door. (See information on how to purchase tickets, below.)
The annual fundraiser is a time for women to come together, appreciate themselves, each other, make new friends–all while benefiting the library. Guests will enjoy marvelous preparations from Marly’s Bar & Bistro, bid on wonderful silent auction items cultivated specifically for this event, be in the running for great prizes, listen to the music of Darren Litzie, take part in a fun wine pull, and have other opportunities to support the library.
“This event means a great deal to the women in town and to the library. It’s a wonderful time to socialize and make sure that the library receives support to continue the programs, services and technology that the community has come to expect,” says Robin Axness, development director for Wilton Library.
It’s also a great deal of fun and a chance to blow off a little steam.
“This annual event is a welcome respite for the women in the community who have spent September getting the kids ready for school, attending district open houses and getting everyone back on track for the coming seasons,” remarks event chair Suzanne Lishnoff.
Committee member Carrie Preisano agrees: “And in the process of having fun, we get to support this treasure of the community.”
Some of the enticing silent auction items include an evening cooking class for eight with Middlebrook teacher Heather Priest in the bidder’s home, a private wine tasting for twenty courtesy of Total Wine in Norwalk, the library’s executive director Elaine Tai-Lauria’s scrumptious homemade carrot cake with a crystal cake stand from Open House, a Tarot Card reading party for up to ten guests, two tickets to opening night productions of the 2017-2018 season at Wilton Playshop, tennis activities at Four Seasons Racquet Club, gift baskets, photo sessions with popular Wilton photographers, and so much more.
“If attendees don’t win their bids on the auction items, they still have plenty of opportunities to be part of the drawing for Jet Blue tickets, a professional portraiture, and a cool high-tech gadget, along with having fun with the wine pull,” Lishnoff says, explaining, “For $20, guests will be able to purchase a cork with a number on it that is associated with a bottle of wine. At the end of the evening, the number will be matched with a secret bottle of wine, so the surprises just keep coming.”
Joining Lishnoff and Preisano, the other hard-working committee members who have spent the summer and fall organizing the event are Sarah Kreuzer, Michelle Shia, Namita Vadhera, Rayna Wein Avizov and Kathleen Zadourian.
The sponsors who help make the event possible are Bankwell, the lead sponsor, followed by Catamount Wealth Management, Meadow Ridge, TraceyLocke, Wilton Meadows Rehabilitation Center/The Greens at Cannondale, Wilton Woman’s Club, and Wilton Magazine, the media sponsor.
Tickets for the event are $55 and are going very quickly. To purchase tickets or to make a donation if unable to attend, visit the Ladies’ Soiree page on the Library’s website. Tickets can also be purchased at the Circulation Desk in the library, or by calling Suzanne Verrilli in the development office at 203.762.6321.
Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Rd..