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Annual farm dinner raises $102,000 for Delaware Botanic Gardens

Dagsboro attraction set to open in 2019
Delaware Botanic Gardens Executive Director Sheryl Swed, left, and President Ray Sander make their mark on John Donato's painting at the 10th annual farm dinner at Good Earth Market near Ocean View Sept. 28. Each year, Donato publicly paints and invites participants at the dinner to try their hand. The painting is later auctioned to raise money for the gardens. MADDY LAURIA PHOTOS
Maddy Lauria
October 10, 2017
Celebrating the 10th annual farm dinner are (l-r) Georgetown residents Justin Weible and Laura Kramer, Good Earth Market & Organic Farm owner and advisory council member Sue Ryan, Ocean View residents Donna Tieger and Stephen Hornyak, and Bethany Beach residents Maureen and Lew Kilmer.
Delaware Botanic Gardens Administrative Assistant Kelly Sheridan and board member Peter Carter are ready to get the party started.
Mingling during cocktail hour are (l-r) Howard and Barbara Katz, Justin Weible and Laura Kramer.
Emily and Gerald Hocker show off their smiles as they head toward the tent.
Toasting with black-eyed Susan drinks sponsored by the Green family are (l-r) David Green, Sue Ryan, Kathy Green and Mary Ryan.
The menu from SoDel Concepts combined the organizers' favorite dishes from the past 10 years.
Having a good time at the dinner are (l-r) Ocean City, Md., residents Carol Burroughs, Albert Purdy and Diane Purdy.
Delaware Botanic Gardens Director of Horticulture Gregg Tepper joins Executive Director Sheryl Swed at the event.
As the sun sets, garden supporters (l-r) Jamie and David Doane, Mark Carter and Sara Ganter pose for a photo.
David Ludlow joins new board member Sally Boswell at the dinner.
Ronnie Burkle, corporate chef at SoDel Concepts, thanks the audience and walks them through a very Delmarva menu featuring fried chicken and crab cakes.
Representing Coastal Tented Events of Millville are Lauren Wright, left, and Caitlin McCarthy Rowe.
Enjoying a drink in the garden are Salisbury, Md., resident Peter Alexander, left, and Lewes resident Carole Ottesen.
Photographers Ken Arni, left, and Ray Bojanski pause for a moment to have their picture taken.
The tables were elegantly set.
Having a blast at the farm are Peter Giaquinto of Rehoboth Beach and Selma Tepper of Garnet Valley, Pa.
Christine and Scott Anderson of Reedsville, Pa., made the journey to Delaware to support the gardens.
People mingle at the farm.

Supporters of Delaware Botanic Gardens stepped up at the 10th anniversary farm dinner Sept. 28, raising more than $100,000 for the Dagsboro project.

Dover-based George & Lynch Inc. announced the company found it was under budget for site work of the 37-acre garden, allowing it to donate $50,000 to the gardens. Company President Chris Baker announced that donation at the dinner, held at Good Earth Market in Ocean View. Baker challenged supporters to match his company’s donation.

An emotional Gregg Tepper, director of horticulture, said giving money to the garden project means much more than purchasing plants.

“It’s not just about the garden,” he said. “It’s not just about the plants. It’s about a habitat, and creating a beautiful community for people.”

Members of the Delaware Botanic Gardens board couldn’t sit down to dinner without paying tribute to the man who had a vision for a rustic fundraiser a decade ago.

“I will never do this event without mentioning Matt Haley,” said advisory council member Sue Ryan, owner of Good Earth Market and Organic Farm. Since Haley first proposed it, the dinner has grown into an elegant fundraising effort, she said, calling Haley a visionary. Haley, a popular local chef and restaurateur, died in a motorcycle accident near Nepal during a humanitarian mission in 2014.

Ryan and others also thanked donors and volunteers for making the project possible. “This time we said let’s be aspirational,” garden Board President Ray Sander said after the dinner. “People responded beautifully.”

For more about Delaware Botanic Gardens, go to www.delawaregardens.org.

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