Tuscany comes to Sharon


SHARON — The fabled Tuscany region of Italy comes to Sharon Center School for this year’s volunteer fire department fundraising gala on Oct. 13.

Tuscany is known for its great art, spectacular food and, above all, its beauty and an easy old-fashioned way of life. Volunteers have worked for nearly a year to find just the right ingredients to bring those elements alive in Sharon.

It all begins in the cafeteria, where the evening will begin with hors d’ouevres and cocktails at 6 p.m. Marilyn Hock will transform the dining hall by wrapping the walls in buff-colored paper reminiscent of the terra cotta exteriors that are typical of Tuscany.

"It’s going to look like a courtyard in Italy," Hock said. "There will be arbors wrapped with grape vines and green and purple grapes. We’re going to create faux windows with brick arches that you’ll be able to see peeking through the arbors. At the center of the room will be a fountain with running water, like one you might see in an Italian piazza."

Outside the cafeteria, there will be a tent with mixers for drinks and live entertainment provided by Country Spice and singer Michael Brown.

"The backdrop for the band area is a mural of a Tuscan scene, with pillars and arches," Hock said. "The tables will be decorated with grape vines, grape leaves and candles."

Edibles will be donated by community members and by Sharon Hospital, Sharon Health Care and Trotta’s. Anyone who would like to donate appetizers or desserts (nothing that needs to be heated up, please) is asked to call B.Z. Coordes at Clothes and Collectibles, 860-364-0018.

After cocktail hour, a light supper will be served. The main course is, appropriately, pasta, provided by Sharon caterer and ravioli maker Lee Kennedy, who has provided the food for past galas. A salad will be served on the side.

During dinner and cocktails, party-goers can wander the hallway and look at photos and bios of fire company volunteers, and photos of the equipment that is so essential to the safety of the town — and so expensive to purchase. This year’s gala will help the fire company pay for its new ladder truck, which replaces a three-decade-old model.

"Ladder trucks are critical in terms of safety," said Becky Thornton, who is head of the gala committee this year. "It’s safer than leaning a ladder against a burning building, and of course it’s essential for rescuing anyone trapped in an upper story."

The truck cost about three-quarters of a million dollars.

Also on display during the dinner hour will be works by six local artists that are being raffled. Tickets are $20 each and only 500 will be sold; they can be purchased at the Sharon Package Store, Sharon Pharmacy and at Town Hall from Jamie Casey.

The artworks are on display at Town Hall for now. They include still lifes by Eric Forstmann and David Riley, landscapes by Colleen McGuire, Tina Chandler and Pieter Lefferts and a sculpted pig by Peggy Kaufman.

A Grand March will begin after dinner, as the fire company volunteers, in full uniform, parade upstairs in the school gym, which will be transformed into a Tuscan courtyard. The walls will be wrapped in ivory-hued fabric, there will be more brick arched windows and there will be arbors with hanging baskets of golden nasturtium and fire-red geraniums.

Next to the arbors there will be "streetlights" on faux iron poles.

The ceiling will be decked out with blue mylar streamers, to recreate the evening sky, and a chandelier with stained glass will hang from the center.

There will also be a fountain with running water and spotlights. Dancing in the fountain is discouraged, but dancing around it is encouraged. Maximum Dosage, a "light rock" band, will be on the stage and the live music will continue to 11:30 p.m.

This is the fourth time the fire department has hosted a gala, instead of a fundraising ball. Attendance began to drop several years ago at the balls, and a committee proposed putting on a more casual event instead, with something for everyone.

Tickets are $50 per couple in advance, $60 at the door. Though many people choose to pay at the door, it is easier for the organizers to ensure there is enough food if tickets are bought ahead of time.

For information, call 860-364-5254; for tickets, visit Town Hall, Sharon Pharmacy or the Sharon Package Store. Mixers will be provided for this BYOB event.

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