One person knows which key opens the diamond box at Saturday’s Diamond Dinner in Castlegar — and it’s not the chair of the committee.
“Every lady when she walks in through the door will get a key and one of those keys will open the box that holds the diamond,” Shirley Henderson said. “There’s only one person in Castlegar that knows which key it is.”
The winner will receive a diamond from Simone Jewelers valued at over $5,000 — the namesake of the event.
Now in its 10th year, the Rotary Club’s Diamond Dinner has created such a stir around town that this year’s event sold out in three days.
The event is the Rotary Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and Henderson said the committee ensures it’s a night the attendees won’t soon forget.
Held at the Castlegar Community Complex, the ladies-only dinner is served by male Rotarians.
“Once they’re through the door, the gentlemen wait on them all night,” Henderson said, including serving each guest a glass of champagne upon arrival.
If you need anything, they’ll be happy to bring it to you, she added.
The sit-down dinner will be cooked by Kim’s Creations and there will be various forms of entertainment all night long, Henderson said.
This year’s fashion show will feature clothes from West’s and Fashion Foundations. Henderson said it’s always a hit.
Forty-five silent auction items will be up for bids, including golf packages, hotel stays, a rug from NuFloors, pictures and gift baskets.
A live auction will feature six “fabulous” items, Henderson said: a weekend at Red Mountain, a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer, two East Kootenay getaways, a house boat trip and dinner for eight by the Element in your own home.
“We also have a draw for a wine cooler which is donated by the Brick,” Henderson said. “It comes with 10 bottles of wine.”
A raffle-style draw, to win the wine cooler you buy a card and the winner is pulled out of a box.
“The highlight — of course — of the evening is the male Rotarian dancers,” Henderson said.
The dancers, known as the Diamonds in the Rough, began practising months ago and the song they’ll perform to is still a secret.
“Julie Kinley from Turning Pointe Dance turns our Rotarians into stars,” Henderson said.
The plans for the Diamond Dinner start in October of each year.
“We’re going to take that room and turn it into something you can’t even imagine,” Henderson said. “It’s such a wonderful night because you get treated like royalty.”
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and dinner is served at 7 p.m. To avoid disappointment, contact Sandy Groutage at 365-8409 to be put on the mailing list for tickets next year.