Windermere Rotary plans charity luau

Rotarians will host the Luau by the Lake from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 20, an island-themed party of food, music and fun at The Pines at Windermere on Big Lake Down.

With its predecessor, Lobster and Laughter, Luau by the Lake has a history of 12 years of raising thousands of dollars for local charities. Along with Windermere Rotary’s annual golf tournament and Festival Among the Lakes, this event has helped to generate more than $800,000 in those dozen years for Health Central Alzheimer’s Center, Edgewood Children’s Ranch, Habitat for Humanity, Home at Last, Freedom Ride and other charities.

Students from Olympia and West Orange high schools, Foundation Academy and Windermere Preparatory School will help with the event, which features crab cake appetizers before a catered sit-down dinner at 6 p.m. The menu includes beef tenderloin, grilled chicken, whole lobster, grilled vegetables, coconut rice, Hawaiian cole slaw, Mai Tais, beer, wine and pineapple.

“We’re on a lake, but the dinner will be served inside,” club member Judy Black said. “We do have activities at the lake as the sun goes down.”

One such activity is the Luau by the Lake silent auction, which includes items such as art, memorabilia and golf, restaurant and hotel packages, Black said.

“There will be live entertainment,” she said. “We will have an interactive Hawaiian show with a bonfire and fire dancers lakeside.”

Guests also can partake in limbo or jam to some island music.

The cost per person is $60, and the group rate to fill a table of eight is $450.

“Dress in casual island attire,” Black said. “Don’t dress up — flip-flops are fine.”

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].