Black Tie & Baggies Recap

The First Coast Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation held its 4th Annual Black Tie & Baggies Gala on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at the Atlantic in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  The event was a great success and we could not have done it without the support of the sponsors and the community!

Close to 200 people attended the event.  Many people were dressed to the nines and signed up for our Best Dressed Contest. Winners for Best Dressed Man, Woman, and Couple received a unique piece of artwork by Damon Williams.  Eight year old Wesley Douglass won Best Dressed Man; Tammy Barley won Best Dressed Woman; and Tim and Lori Cassidy won Best Dressed Couple.

Paco’s Mexican Grill was our title sponsor again this year and donated the catering for the event.  The band, B-Liminal from Jupiter, Florida, rocked the house with their Sublime style music.  We also had a fashion show with styles from the local boutique Rosie True. 

After costs, we were able to raise close to $3000.  The money came from the cover charge at the door, raffle ticket sales, and the silent auction.  “This was our largest fundraising event to date,” stated Ed Cronin, Chairman of the First Coast Chapter.  The silent auction and raffle were a huge success thanks to our sponsors including Surf Sanctuary, Damon Williams, SurfFanatics.com, Tim Chew Surfboards, Tonya Beaver Photography, MySurfari, Sunrise Surf Shop, Cycle Spectrum, AquaEast, Kayak Adventures, Ripple Effect, Massage Envy, Jacksonville Zoo, TacoLu, Cabos Island Pizza, Sun Deli, Half Moon Bay Trading Company, and more.

            “The event was a huge success,” stated Valerie Zevens, chairman of the event committee.  “It’s amazing what we can do with the help of a dedicated committee and the generosity of local businesses and the community.” 

If anyone has any pictures, please send them in to us at firstcoast@surfrider.org and we will have them posted. - Thanks  EC