Wining, dining and fighting cancer

Yellow butterflies have a special meaning to Plains resident Megan Beason. One of her good friends had breast cancer. Just before she died, Beason’s friend was sitting on her porch when she saw a yellow butterfly settle near her.

“She took that to mean everything was going to be all right,” Beason said. Her friend died a few weeks later.

In memory of her, when Beason came to the 7th annual Wine Tasting and Style Show at the fairgrounds pavilion Thursday night, she carried a wine glass decorated with yellow butterflies in her hand.

Every year at the wine tasting, style isn’t just for the fashion show, it’s also for the stemware. Themes extended from a bandanna-wrapped cowboy glass to one with the word “princess” picked out in gemstones.

“Because I’m the princess,” Holly Richard said with a smile.

Julie Watts’ friends gave her a flip-flop-themed glass because she owns 41 pairs of flip-flops.

“I just like them,” Watts said. “They’re comfortable.”

Del Zetterberg strung orange Christmas lights and tissue paper around her fall-themed glass. She said she likes the benefit because it helps her friends and neighbors.

Some people took the words “interesting wine glasses” in an entirely different way. Connie and Jack Grimm had only been living in Plains for three days when a friend invited them to the wine tasting. All the wine glasses were in storage, but the Grimms did find a pair of sippee cups in their new cupboards.

Organizer Erika Lawyer also managed to drag 20 people on stage for a fashion show: Todd and Cynthia Boehler, Nita and Dallas Deardorff, Rick and Kelly Horton, Tommy and Elisa Reck, Darin and Breanna King, Eric Meckler, David McGonagle, Henry Brown, Sue Cooperman, Juanita Triplett, Denise Montgomery, Jo Carpenter, Denise Booth, Kathy Logan and Carol Brooker.

Darin and Breanna King had never been in a fashion show before, but both said they’d be willing to do it again.

“It’s for a good cause,” Darin King, who was also serving as DJ, said.

Besides the fashion show and the wine tasting, participants could bid in a silent and live auction. The Chairwoman Cancer Network of Sanders County, Kathy Miller, obviously enjoyed playing auctioneer.

“Those of you who are here are obviously here to help your neighbors,” Miller said. Because of donations, she explained that the Cancer Network of Sanders County has been able to provide 287 gifts a year to local people suffering from cancer for a total of $60,700 since the organization’s founding in 2001. When the Network started, they were only able to give $100 once to each person. Now, they can give $300 once a year.

“I find that number impressive, but without you, it wouldn’t happen,” she said.

Miller must have been persuasive enough to open some people’s pocketbooks. The highest-priced item in the silent auction were Grizzly basketball tickets, which went for $225. A quilt went for $600 in the live auction.

All the profits went to benefit the Cancer Network — including the money that came from merchandise sold by local businesses.

Josie Schuster of Silpada Jewelry said they hadn’t done fundraisers before participating in the wine tasting a year ago. She came back with a rack full of silver and a smile.

“It is for a great cause,” she said. “I’m glad to help local people.”

Miller said during the auction that they expected, conservatively, to raise between $3,500 to $5,000 for the entire wine benefit. When the receipts had all been tallied, however, Lawyer said the Network had collected $5,500.

“I’m thrilled,” Lawyer said about the amount. “Anything above $5,000 is great.”

About 140 people attended the tasting this year, which was slightly lower than last year. Lawyer blamed the economy for the lower turnout.

“The DOW plunged 700,” she said. “Given the state of the economy right now, I’m really pleased.”