After a fun-filled night of food, drinks, auctions, raffles, live music and more, take home a beautiful handcrafted piece of art created with love by a local artisan. Then you can rest easy on your new piece of furniture knowing you just helped Friends Together Cancer Center of Alpena.

The event, from 6 to 10 p.m., will feature at least 35 pieces of hand-painted furniture up for live and silent auction, a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres by JJ’s Catering, desserts from Neiman’s Bakery, multi-item raffles, and the popular wine and craft beer pull.

“This is our second annual event,” said Zonta’s Peggy Donakowski, who is co-chairing the event with Barb Rigg. “Now, they used to do this many years ago, I think it was Tray Club, so we thought we’d pick it up and we’d run with it. We tried it the first year, and said ‘Let’s see what happens.’ Huge hit.”

So it’s back again this year, on a Thursday, which Donakowski said is a good night for working adults to come.

Courtesy Photo The above handcrafted adirondack chair with a back the shape of Michigan’s lower peninsula, painted with stars and stripes like the U.S. flag, will be up for auction on Thursday. Brett Miller of B&R Woodworks LLC created this chair.

“That’s the feedback that we got, so that’s why we stuck with it for this year, once again on Thursday, and we’ll see how it goes,” Donakowski said.

She added that this year’s event will feature even more than last year.

“We booked Donny Hartman,” Donakowski said. “We tried getting him last year but he was busy. And we got a hold of him early this year, and he said ‘Yes, definitely,’ so he’ll be up there playing.”

“He does Bob Dylan better than Bob Dylan,” Rouleau said of Hartman. “He can do acoustic or rock and roll, a large variety.”

“The benefactor this year is Friends Together,” Donakowski said. “So Judy Burns is going to be our auctioneer. So she’ll auction off the first 12 items, then we will have a silent auction for a lot of the other furniture, and then we’ll also have a Chinese auction, and that’s new. And the silent auction is new.”

News Photo by Darby Hinkley The above welcome bench made by Sara Hornick is one of the many items to be auctioned off on Thursday at Art in the Loft.

Burns is the board president, founder and CEO of Friends Together.

“And then we also have a wine pull,” said Zonta Treasurer Lisa VanHorn, chairperson of donations for the auction. “We’ll have 100 bottles of wine, and I have worked and managed to get all but 32 bottles of wine that will have a prize attached to them.”

“So for $20, you pull a cork out of a basket, and it will have a number, and you go to find that bottle of wine, and then we’ll have a table set up and you walk up there and give them your number, and you perhaps get a gift certificate or gift basket, like a little bonus prize to go with your bottle of wine,” Donakowski explained.

There will also be a craft beer pull with the same idea.

“We tried it last year, and everybody had fun doing it,” Donakowski added.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley from left to right, are Zonta Alpena Tri-County President Julie Rouleau, Treasurer Lisa VanHorn, who is chairperson of donations for the auction, and an artist who painted the Michigan stool, mirror and time-out stool, and Peggy Donakowski, who is co-chairing the event with Barb Rigg.

“Not everybody is a wine drinker, so it gives people the option of trying something new,” Zonta Alpena Tri-County President Julie Rouleau said of the beer pull, which will allow participants to create their own six-pack.

VanHorn lines up all the donors for auction items, prizes, raffle items, is involved in ticket sales, and more.

“She’s jack of all trades,” Donakowski said of VanHorn. “She really helps bring this together. She’s also an artist and does some of our pieces.”

VanHorn painted a Univerity of Michigan bar stool, an elegant free-standing mirror, a children’s time-out stool stenciled with “Lose The ‘Tude,” a children’s stool with a round basketball top and an actual basketball net draped around the base and hanging down the sides. VanHorn also designed a Dr. Suess-themed bookcase which was painted by Kristen Marsh and stenciled by Tami Clewley.

Among the other auction items are a handcrafted adirondack chair with a back the shape of Michigan’s lower peninsula, painted with stars and stripes like the U.S. flag, created by Brett Miller of B&R Woodworks LLC.

“I love that chair,” VanHorn noted of Miller’s work. “I just think it’s a huge staple piece.”

Another handsome item is the bench made by Sara Hornick featuring the words, “Welcome Home,” and a painting of a pine tree, windmill and antique blue truck full of flowers, with a black and white checkerboard pattern down the sides of the bench.

“They’ll be all decked out,” Donakowski said of the variety of bright and creatively designed furniture available. “There’ll be all different kinds of stuff.”

Also at the event, the group will be selling Zonta wine glasses for $4, each with a unique charm and a painted chalkboard base that can be personalized.

“There’s a place where they can write their name,” Rouleau noted of the wine glasses.

“So you’re walking away with a little memorabilia, and hopefully a bunch of furniture,” Donakowski said with a smile.

Tickets are $15 per person, in advance or at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Neiman’s Family Market, or Boldrey, Senchuk, Rouleau and Williams CPA, PC, or by calling Peggy Donakowski at 989-464-5440.

At last year’s event, the group raised around $3,000 for a variety of local causes.

Donakowski said this year’s goal is “as much as possible so we can help out Friends Together.”

“Also, Marsh’s Collision and Copping Auto help sponsor the event, so they purchased the tickets,” VanHorn added.

Anyone interested in joining Zonta Club of Alpena/Tri-County Area can call Donakowski. The group always welcomes new members.

Just to clarify, there are two Zonta Clubs in this area, and they meet at different times of day. The Zonta Club of Alpena/Tri-County Area holds its meetings in the evening.

“There’s a day club and an evening club for people who can’t really meet at lunchtime,” Rouleau explained.

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