KILLALOE – Local residents who purchased tickets to the first-annual themed dinner were transported to East India on June 2.
That night, the Killaloe Lions Hall was transformed into a whimsical and elegant restaurant that served up only the best in Indian cuisine.
The event was the brainchild of Garth Watterson and Killaloe Librarian Nicole Zummach. In February, Watterson held a Thai/Vietnamese themed dinner, and Zummach had helped out. He approached the librarian afterwards and suggested holding a similar themed dinner, but with all proceeds going to the Killaloe and District Public Library’s building fund.
“I thought it was a great fit so I thought, let’s go for it,” Zummach said.
The Township of Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards has agreed to build a new library, which will likely be located across from Station Park. Several fundraisers have already been held for the cause.
As for the dinner, Zummach said the theme was an easy one to pick.
“Indian seemed like a popular choice,” she added.
The hall was decorated by library board member Donna Malette and Bev Swrjeski. Zummach said their efforts created both culture and ambiance.
“We wanted to make it an elegant evening out for people,” she said.
Planning began only shortly after the highly-successful plant sale on May 12.
“Basically as soon as the plant sale was over, we printed up tickets,” Zummach said. “Half of them were sold before we even had physical tickets to sell and the rest were sold out within the week.”
Tickets were $25 each and only a limited amount was available. Zummach said she was “thrilled” by the turnout, adding that she loves to see familiar faces and new faces supporting the library.
Story continues in the June 6 issue of The Valley Gazette.