Last Saturday I took part in Fun(d) the Foundation. For the second year running and with Weather NJ playing host, volunteers cobbled together a fundraising soirée. The proceeds will benefit Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. The evening featured a curated buffet of local fare provided by several local eateries. It was a robust spread anchored by scallops fresh off the boat. (Shout-out to Dan Molyneux for the killer recipe.) Many thanks to all who donated sponsorship, art, food, time, and patronage. The evening would not have happened without your support.
Once I was able to break away from the grill I manned my station as photographer. A rather poor performance on my part left me flustered at the grill plates for the better half of the evening. If you loathed the chicken satay you have me to thank. Eager to move on dot org from my cooking failure I was glad to take up the camera. Even though I am lost when photographing people.
By this point everyone was well sated and back to imbibing spirited beverages. The audience fell quiet before the young and talented Sahara Moon. This singer-songwriter of a most excellent folksy bent has carved out a well deserved reputation. Sahara Moon is ours, south Jersey, and we are all the better for it. She took to the stage and plucked skillful covers and soulful originals, crooning the night away. It set an ideal stage to a subdued and classy evening.
As the night drew to a close and Sahara was about to set down her Martin Guitar, Gordon Woolley shocked us all. With superb showmanship he bound to the stage and thus produced a harmonica from his pocket. With perfect timing, two strangers book ending two generations worked a sublime duet. The only thing that called into question the spontaneity of the moment was how well the two performers merged. It was as though they had rehearsed this little number several times beforehand. Swept away, the crowd swooned. It was the perfect finish to a wonderful night—all grills aside.