United Way of Lake County Celebrity Server Fundraiser Brings Community Together to Support our Local Friends & Neighbors in Need

Mentor, OH (March 19, 2025) –  Nearly five-hundred people turned out for United Way of Lake County’s (UWLC) largest annual fundraiser on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the American-Croatian Lodge in Eastlake.

The Celebrity Server event is the first phase of UWLC’s two-part fundraiser. Phase two will take place starting on April 8, 2025 when the organization kicks off two consecutive two-week online raffles.

The St. Patrick’s Day-themed event featured a full corned beef and cabbage lunch with all the fixings along with pasta marinara and chicken. And in return for a donation, UWLC’s “Table O’Sweets” offered guests the opportunity to select from a large variety of cakes, cupcakes, and sweets contributed by area bakeries and restaurants.

Radio personality Jeremy James, best known as the Morning Show host of Mix 97.1 served as the DJ, while Ryan Gilkerson, local personality, host, and owner of Ville City Branding, served as emcee.

Celebrity Servers worked to collect tips from their guests to donate to UWLC’s mission and employed a variety of methods over and above standard table service to accomplish this.  Some were challenged by their guests to take the stage and sing a song, dance, recite an Irish limerick, reveal an embarrassing fact, and the list goes on.

The Celebrity Server who raised the greatest number of tips from their guests was Willoughby Hills Mayor Chris Hallum, who was awarded a shamrock shaped medal that was handcrafted for UWLC by the Madison Public Library team in their Create Space.

A second handcrafted trophy, also designed by the team at the Madison Public Library, was awarded to AnDao Silbaugh, master stylist at Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa in Mentor, for best dressed. The Pot O’ Gold trophy complemented Silbaugh’s outlandishly fun leprechaun attire. UWLC Campaign Co-Chairs Ed and Nancy Brown, owners of Ladies & Gentlemen, were in attendance in support of UWLC's mission and had the opportunity to cheer her on.

The fundraiser featured a large variety of raffle baskets including Guardians Tickets, an Ohio Wine Country getaway to Vineyard Woods, golf packages, an owner/chef prepared 5-Course “Around the World” dinner for six at Bistro 70 in Painesville valued at $750, a 55” Smart TV, and a $500 basket filled with goods and services from Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa.

In addition to the chance to win any number of basket raffles, guests had the opportunity to win cash from the 50/50 raffle, a wheelbarrow of booze filled with over $1,000 in spirits, wine valued from $10 to $100 from the wine pull, $1,200 in restaurant gift cards from the Heads or Tails Beads game, and prizes for participating in the Slot Machine Shenanigans game.

Before announcing the afternoon’s raffle winners, United Way of Lake County President & CEO Dione DeMitro shared a heartfelt message with guests, emphasizing the impact of their presence in the room.

" We associate St. Patrick’s Day with the luck of the Irish. Because of you, people feel lucky today. If you have purchased an event ticket or raffle entry, if you have donated a prize or provided a corporate sponsorship or participated in an employee campaign, today people feel lucky because of you. The individuals having lunch at the Salvation Army today feel lucky because of you, the families safe from domestic violence at Forbes House feel lucky because of you, the kids who have mentors through Torchlight and access to the Lake County YMCA, are lucky because of you.  All of this is possible because of you. Together, we are contributing to a community in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said DeMitro.

Sponsors included Community Champion Avery Dennison and Community Impact Leaders Fredon Corporation, Griffin Technology Group, Mentor Nissan, and Lighthouse Advisers.  Additional sponsors included: All Contractors Supply, RAW Roofing Solutions, Lake Erie College, Lake Metroparks, SMART Local #33, Signature Health, Sub Zero Mission, Tec Inc. Engineering & Design, The News-Herald, AQUA Ohio, Fredon Corporation, Gazette Newspapers/Great Lakes Printing, MIMI Magazine, Slowey Insurance Agency, Stanley Steemer, Citywide Solutions, Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital, First Federal Lakewood, Somich & Associates, Sunray Window Films, Water Extraction Team, KeyBank, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, and in-kind sponsors Clicks by Kat, PIP Marketing, Signs, Print, and Ville City Branding.