Actor Gregory Harrison will be among the celebrity guests to visit Ponte Vedra April 8, when the “Trapper John, M.D.” and “Logan’s Run” star joins actress Loretta Swit for “The Loretta Swit Annual Gala” to benefit Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue.
To be held Friday, April 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse, the gala will feature Swit and several of her friends to help raise funds for Ayla’s Acres. In addition to a gourmet dinner and music by Gainesville’s Gosia and Ali featuring Harold Fethe, the gala will feature a live auction where attendees may bid for time with the celebrities, a stay in Cancun, a two-night stay at The Collector Luxury Inn and Gardens in St. Augustine and more. A silent auction and quickfire raffle will be held as well.
The gala will also be the setting the for the announcement of the winner of a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. Tickets for a chance to win are capped at 4,000 and will be available right up until the drawing is held that evening. The winner does not need to be present to win.
All proceeds from the The Loretta Swit & Friends Annual Gala will be used for the construction of Peter’s Friends Animal Resource Center in St. Johns County. Peter’s Friends will include an adoption center, an education facility for school and community organizations, and a low and no-cost spay and neuter clinic.
“The Loretta Swit and Friends Gala is an important component in making Peter’s Friends a reality,” Ayla’s Acres Executive Director Fran Charlson said. “Thanks in part to the success of last year’s M*A*S*H Gala, we were able to purchase 17.5 acres of land in St. Johns County for Peter’s Friends Animal Resource Center. The civil and environmental engineers are doing their jobs, and it is almost time for the real work to begin on this much-needed facility for St. Johns and the surrounding counties.”
Several gala ticket packages are available. V.I.P. tickets entitle the guest to attend a meet and greet with the stars prior to the event. These limited-availability tickets may be purchased individually or in tables of eight. General tickets may be purchased individually or in tables of ten. All attendees will have a chance to mingle with the celebrities throughout the evening.
Tickets starting at $165 are available for purchase online at www.aylasacres.org/events. That page will also regularly update people on confirmed celebrity appearances, a link to purchase tickets for the 2017 Hyundai, and other news that will be of interest to ticket holders. Hilton Garden Inn – Jacksonville / Ponte Vedra will offer discounted rooms for people attending the event. Call (650) 520-5201 for more information.
PHOTO: Okay to omit if there’s no room for it
Photo by Susan Griffin
Recorder file photo: Members of the cast of M*A*S*H attend last year’s gala to benefit Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Shelter. This year’s gala, hosted by Loretta Swit, will be held April 7 and will feature a new cast of celebrity guests.
