A Birthday Bash FUNdraiser to benefit the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan will be held at Whitecaps Restaurant in Petoskey on March 25. The benefit features both a silent auction and a live auction with Jason Guthrie returning as auctioneer. Guthrie (back, center) is pictured at last year’s event during the live auction.

A Birthday Bash FUNdraiser to benefit the women, children and families utilizing programs and services of the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) will be held at Whitecaps Restaurant in Petoskey from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m., on Wednesday, March 25. Although the WRCNM recently marked 38 years of providing essential services to those in northern Michigan, the event is not a birthday party for the non-profit organization. The event celebrates the shared March 25 birthdays of several notable individuals, and more importantly, raises needed dollars for WRCNM programs and services which thousands of individuals rely on every year.

The benefit features both silent and live auctions with a variety of unique items donated by local businesses and individuals. The silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m., and the live auction begins at 7:00 p.m., featuring items such as a European cooking class, fishing charter expedition, Beaver Island weekend getaway, 5-course gourmet dinner for eight, tandem parasail flight, Cross Village weekend getaway on 160’ of Lake Michigan frontage, and a ride aboard a Petoskey City Fire truck for three people. A wide variety of gift certificates offers everything from wine tasting and cooking demonstrations to yoga, massage, acupuncture and fitness.  Click here for a list of current auction items…more items are being added every day!

“Even though the WRCNM turned 38 in February, we thought this fundraiser would be an interesting way to celebrate the birthdays of a few people who have blazed their own trails and made significant contributions in one way or another,” said Deb Smith, WRCNM Assistant Director. “It will be a fun and light-hearted event; however, the dollars we hope to raise are absolutely vital to the organization and help support children’s educational programming and scholarships, the 24-hour crisis and information line, heat and electricity at the domestic abuse Safe Home and free counseling to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. We invite the community and friends of the WRCNM to join the celebration and have FUN.”

The WRCNM’s Birthday Bash benefit also features an array of hors d’oeuvres created by the staff at Whitecaps, as well as a cash bar. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the door or by calling the WRCNM at (231) 347-0067. For more information on WRCNM programs, services and events visit wrcnm.org.