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Gala attendees take to the dance floor along with other neighbors during the Las Vegas style performance.
May 22, 2024
Lakehills Community Center rocks a Las Vegas Style Party
By Ron Clarke
The Bandera Prophet
Known statewide for the annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival, the Lakehills Community Center was transformed into a Las Vegas style entertainment venue, complete with disco ball, strobes, and a blue tint throughout, for the third annual Fundraising Gala. A dance floor was carved out right in the front of the glitzy and colorful stage which hosted “Gary the Showman,” of Carnival Cruise and local fame, who was back by popular demand for his second engagement.
About 155 Bandera County residents, community center supporters, and friends dressed in their weekend best Bandera formal attire to enjoy a five-star Las Vegas entertainment and food experience with catered foodstuffs delivered by friendly and highly attentive waitstaff which featured many Bandera area youth. Freshly pressed glowing white linen tablecloths and napkins underlined the menu of homemade fresh salad with homemade dressings, chicken and sausage gumbo, fried catfish and shrimp, a decadent chocolate cake ala mode for dessert along with lighter spirits.
Gala Chairperson Barbara Engel was proud of the volunteer support to make this year’s Gala another success.
“We were thrilled to get Gary the Showman back for a second year. His return was by popular demand and since seating was limited, and due to that great demand, we added 20 seats and packed the center full to the last chair. Kudos go out to our great volunteers for making the difference who took more than two days to prepare and cook this special Gala homemade menu. We genuinely wanted to repeat an upper-class experience that worked well with high grade entertainment where our supporters could have a quality night out, dress in their best evening attire, and enjoy quality fun within a friendly and tasteful environment with our Bandera area neighbors, supporters, and friends,” Engel said. “This fundraiser for the Lakehills Community Center was again designated to assist in a much- needed remodel of the center’s kitchen facility. The Lakehills Community Center hosts many dinners, weddings, cultural events, the monthly senior citizen luncheon, and of course, the annual Cajun Festival and its famous Cajun homemade foods. As the need for the facility grows, the kitchen requires a much-needed upgrade to manage increased use. When it was designed (in the 1970s) we used a lot of residential appliances which have outgrown their life. Now that upgrade will happen soon, thanks to the community support and this Gala. We have made a lot of improvements but still need more than $21,000 to modernize our kitchen electrical and equipment to handle future events. This gala will get us closer to that goal.”
Volunteer Trish Dillenburg, who coordinated the event planning echoed Barbara’s statement.
“It’s my pleasure to welcome our neighbors, so many whom I know from volunteering here at the center, and especially for this great Gala event. I just want everyone to know about the center and what we do here, our supportive programs for youth and our community and for everyone to just have a great time at this event and with each other,” Dillenburg said.
The entertainment was provided by the famous “Gary the Showman,” who took the crowd back to see Elvis and all his hits. During the second song, the crowd started a Conga line with over twenty local participants which set the stage for dancing for the entire evening. After the crowd participation, Gary selected a slew of 1950s and ‘60s dance hits and rock and roll to entertain the crowd, including Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis. Gary sang through all the decades non-stop into the 80s. The crowd sang along and broke out in song along with Gary to “Celebrate” the disco era, and then moved seamlessly into country hits including “Boot Scoot Boogie” and “Neon Moon among many others.” The assembled partygoers never left the dance floor and Gary never took a break for two non-stop hours of dancing and singing with the crowd singing along.
Of special note was the awarding of the annual Lakehills Community Center Scholarship to deserving college students who are Bandera County residents. The selection process was stringent with many applicants, according to scholarship chairperson Margaret Christilles, who is also a volunteer in the kitchen and serves on the Board of Directors. Mike Routh, president of the Community Center, announced the Community Center was able to award not one, but two scholarships this year to 2024 Bandera High School seniors Izabel Kennady and Trevor Persyn.
Trevor will attend UT Austin, majoring in water management, and has expressed an interest in returning to Bandera County and focusing on The Medina River and Medina Lake water challenges. Izabel is going to Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, and will become certified in dental hygiene.
To learn more about the Lakehills Community Center or be a volunteer, visit www.lakehillscommunitycenter.org, or visit their Facebook page. The Medina Lake Cajun Festival also needs volunteer support to be successful. To volunteer for the festival, call 830-460-0600.
About 155 Bandera County residents, community center supporters, and friends dressed in their weekend best Bandera formal attire to enjoy a five-star Las Vegas entertainment and food experience with catered foodstuffs delivered by friendly and highly attentive waitstaff which featured many Bandera area youth. Freshly pressed glowing white linen tablecloths and napkins underlined the menu of homemade fresh salad with homemade dressings, chicken and sausage gumbo, fried catfish and shrimp, a decadent chocolate cake ala mode for dessert along with lighter spirits.
Gala Chairperson Barbara Engel was proud of the volunteer support to make this year’s Gala another success.
“We were thrilled to get Gary the Showman back for a second year. His return was by popular demand and since seating was limited, and due to that great demand, we added 20 seats and packed the center full to the last chair. Kudos go out to our great volunteers for making the difference who took more than two days to prepare and cook this special Gala homemade menu. We genuinely wanted to repeat an upper-class experience that worked well with high grade entertainment where our supporters could have a quality night out, dress in their best evening attire, and enjoy quality fun within a friendly and tasteful environment with our Bandera area neighbors, supporters, and friends,” Engel said. “This fundraiser for the Lakehills Community Center was again designated to assist in a much- needed remodel of the center’s kitchen facility. The Lakehills Community Center hosts many dinners, weddings, cultural events, the monthly senior citizen luncheon, and of course, the annual Cajun Festival and its famous Cajun homemade foods. As the need for the facility grows, the kitchen requires a much-needed upgrade to manage increased use. When it was designed (in the 1970s) we used a lot of residential appliances which have outgrown their life. Now that upgrade will happen soon, thanks to the community support and this Gala. We have made a lot of improvements but still need more than $21,000 to modernize our kitchen electrical and equipment to handle future events. This gala will get us closer to that goal.”
Volunteer Trish Dillenburg, who coordinated the event planning echoed Barbara’s statement.
“It’s my pleasure to welcome our neighbors, so many whom I know from volunteering here at the center, and especially for this great Gala event. I just want everyone to know about the center and what we do here, our supportive programs for youth and our community and for everyone to just have a great time at this event and with each other,” Dillenburg said.
The entertainment was provided by the famous “Gary the Showman,” who took the crowd back to see Elvis and all his hits. During the second song, the crowd started a Conga line with over twenty local participants which set the stage for dancing for the entire evening. After the crowd participation, Gary selected a slew of 1950s and ‘60s dance hits and rock and roll to entertain the crowd, including Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis. Gary sang through all the decades non-stop into the 80s. The crowd sang along and broke out in song along with Gary to “Celebrate” the disco era, and then moved seamlessly into country hits including “Boot Scoot Boogie” and “Neon Moon among many others.” The assembled partygoers never left the dance floor and Gary never took a break for two non-stop hours of dancing and singing with the crowd singing along.
Of special note was the awarding of the annual Lakehills Community Center Scholarship to deserving college students who are Bandera County residents. The selection process was stringent with many applicants, according to scholarship chairperson Margaret Christilles, who is also a volunteer in the kitchen and serves on the Board of Directors. Mike Routh, president of the Community Center, announced the Community Center was able to award not one, but two scholarships this year to 2024 Bandera High School seniors Izabel Kennady and Trevor Persyn.
Trevor will attend UT Austin, majoring in water management, and has expressed an interest in returning to Bandera County and focusing on The Medina River and Medina Lake water challenges. Izabel is going to Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, and will become certified in dental hygiene.
To learn more about the Lakehills Community Center or be a volunteer, visit www.lakehillscommunitycenter.org, or visit their Facebook page. The Medina Lake Cajun Festival also needs volunteer support to be successful. To volunteer for the festival, call 830-460-0600.