Spencer Presents 'Taste of the Spencer' Fund Raiser, 6/18

Always elegant and intimate, the Spencer Theater's "Taste of the Spencer" Fund Raiser is an evening of gourmet food tastings, generous pours of fine wine, and the auction of items from far and wide! The festive night will raise money for the perpetuity of the theater and its mission to help expand the cultural horizons of residents and visitors in New Mexico.

At just $50, the Saturday, June 18th "Taste" affair, which begins at 6 p.m., includes scrumptious food & generous pours of fine wine with live and silent auctions of over 108 remarkable items. The rapid-fire live auction will be held on stage with table seating (enjoy your dessert and drinks while bidding) and will be steered by the skilled auctioneer Steve Talbot. There will also be $1,200 in free giveaway prizes of show tickets, collectibles, a golf package and celebrity memorabilia for those bidders present during the live auction.

With everything from a facial at Fusion Medical Spa, a $300 gift certificate to Chic Boutique and fine jewelry from Michelle's in Ruidoso to a night's lodging with dinner at the Ellis Store in Lincoln, a Napa Valley Wine train trip, Kentucky Derby Finish Line seats, tickets to the Masters Golf Championship and a 1986 Jaguar XJ6III, the items at this year's "Taste" auction are truly outstanding, notes Charles Centilli, the Executive Director of the Spencer.

"We are so incredibly pleased and thankful for all the local, regional and national responses to our fund raiser," he says. "We've had donors from New York and California provide items this year, which really adds a cosmopolitan flare to the entire event. Art, antiques, jewelry, wine, memorabilia, household items, collectibles, services have poured in, and even a car from Connecticut. This year we've had such a grand spirit of participation by individuals and businesses. We're so excited by this, and grateful. Such donations and participation by everyone attending the June 18 event helps to further secure the future of the Spencer. We thank you for your support!"
Centilli goes on to say the annual "Taste" is the non-profit theater's main fund raiser of the year, and all proceeds go directly to support annual operations of the facility.

"We hope everyone will come out and enjoy the party. The $50 entrance ticket is part of the fundraising and it provides you with great food and wine as well as a fun time, and surely there'll be something among the auction items that'll prompt you to bid! The variety of items include fabulous trips and tickets to events that are nearly impossible to come by like finish line seats to the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Who knows, you might just walk out of here with a dream item - or simply an amazing bargain on something that's just right for you!"

Among the auction highlights this year is a 1986 Jaguar XJ6 III in good condition, tickets to the Masters Golf Championship in Augusta, Georgia (includes lodging), the aforementioned VIP Kentucky Derby tickets (which includes lodging and airfare), a lodging getaway during the peak of Maine's fall foliage, a Napa Valley Wine trip (including train tickets and limo service) and a hands-on cooking class with lodging at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, lodging packages in the Yucatan and Italy among other cool offerings.

Recently arrived in the mix are Phyllis Diller autographed shoes worn by Diller from her film with Bob Hope entitled "Private Navy of Sergeant O'Farrell"; a Lilly Tomlin autographed jacket that she wore in a film called "Damages,"; designer Brighton luggage set, White Mountain Pottery platter, a Bob Hope windbreaker, Fuqua Wine from the Fuqua Winery of Dallas, a Disc-It outdoor grill (a grill with a wok) from Gilbert & Patti Troell, a quartz nugget necklace with sterling pendant from Deborah Sturtevant, an antique Taiwanese liquor cabinet from Jeri Johns, and a framed, signed copy of Harold Arlen's musical score of "Over the Rainbow" composed for the film "The Wizard of Oz."

Additional hot-ticket items are an ivory baby grand piano from Juanita Mote (it'd be ideal for a home, church, community center or business) , tickets to the hit Broadway show "The Blue Man Group," signed Marc Chagall lithographs, and package trips to Las Vegas to see Celine Dion, a six-night stay in Ireland, a three-night stay in New York City, a three night stay in Nashville to see the Country Music Awards, a "Sex-in-the-City" tour and stay in NYC; a hands-on two hour experience on Dennis Conner's America's Cup Yacht "Stars & Stripes" coupled with a four night package for two in San Diego and a four night stay with golf at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Closer to home the theater is offering two season tickets to El Paso Symphony Orchestra; three hyperbaric oxygen sessions at Pecos Valley Chiropractor; a one night stay for two with a private natural hot spring soak at the Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa; and a classic Nambe candle holder and a lady's Seiko watch from Bullocks Jewelry in Roswell. Up in Santa Fe, the Spencer is offering lunch for four at the

Italian Farmhouse Kitchen il piatto, lunch for two at Tecolote Café and gift certificates to the Blue Corn Café and Bull Ring Restaurant; a two night stay at the Nedra Matteucci Galleries' Guest House; a one night stay in the Picuris Junior Suite at Hotel Santa Fe and a one night stay at the Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder.

Also among the auction items are local favorites like golf and meals at the Inn of the mountain Gods Resort & Casino; a private, catered dinner party for eight in the posh Alto home of Betty Savage with catering by Bonnie Synder of Savories; an "Experience Package" and a traditional Afternoon Tea package for 24 at the Sanctuary on the River; a selection from The Olive Oil Shops in Ruidoso; facials & gift certificates from Fusion Medical Spa; radio advertising packages on the radio stations KWES 93.5 FM; teeth Whitening from Summit Dental & Orthodontics; gift certificates to the Village Buttery, lube, oil & filter from Sierra Blanca Motors and a portable air compressor from Western Auto. Scores of other items are in the offerings.

"Altogether, these gifts are staggering," says Centilli. "I mean, who wouldn't want a spa treatment in Ruidoso or great meal in Santa Fe or Derby tickets? And tickets to the Masters? My gosh, that's the Super Bowl of golf!"

Doors to "Taste of the Spencer" open at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. Enjoy pours of a variety of wines, courtesy of National Distributing Company, Inc. & Kevin Fleharty, and tasty menu samplings from Blue Goose Cafe, Landlocked, Rickshaw, La Sierra Mexican Restaurant, Laughing Sheep Farm, Lincoln County Grill and Spencer Theater delectables!

Bid on the silent auction items as you eat and drink. Thereafter, at 7:30 p.m., Talbot will take the stage for the live auction and prize drawing giveaways. Be there and enjoy the best party of the season! Tickets to the "Taste" are just $50 and are available at the Box Office. Call 575.336.4800 or go online to the secure server at www.spencertheater.com. All auction items are listed with images on the theater's website for viewing and information.

And please note: the winning raffle ticket for the Chihuly Cobalt Twirl - a swirling, hand-blown glass work mounted in a mirrored display box - will be drawn during the Live Auction. Raffle tickets are $50 (limited to 200 tickets) and are available at the Spencer Box Office. Raffle ticket buyers need not be present to win.

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