In an effort to provide continued protection for the historic neighborhood, Old West End Security will host its annual Margarita Cruise fundraiser Aug. 11, 2012.
The cruise will take place from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on the cruise boat Sandpiper located at the foot of Jefferson Avenue in Promenade Park downtown.
The cruise will feature a self-serve buffet, ice-cold drinks and “legendary” margaritas, as well as a unique and casual social environment for anyone wanting to have a relaxing night out, said Sara L. Haynes, OWE Security president.
“We really want people to come on the boat, socialize, have all the margaritas they can drink and an endless buffet of Mexican-oriented food,” she said.
Board members and residents will provide food and drinks while El Camino Real will donate the taco meat. All margaritas will be self-serve in a cooler with no bartender in attendance.
“It’s almost like you’re having a party with a bunch of your close friends,” Haynes said. “It’s very laid back and casual.”
Haynes said the cruise has been an annual fundraiser for more than a decade, serving as one of the multiple fundraising drives for the organization. However, more recently, she said OWE Security has shifted its focus.
“In the last five or so years, this has become our sole fundraiser for the organization,” she said. “We’ve been focusing less on fundraising and more on patrols.”
Registration for the cruise is $30 and the form can be found online at the OWE Security website. Seating is limited with a total of 80-90 spots open for the event.
The ship will depart from its Jefferson Avenue dock at 7:30 p.m. and travel down the Maumee River to Rossford before turning back around. As an added bonus, OWE Security will host a casual auction featuring items donated by both local businesses and residents of the historic neighborhood.
Items donated for the auction include a pearl necklace worth $150, homemade wine and a weekend at a cottage in northern Michigan. All money received from the auction, as well as from the event registration, goes toward funding the organization’s efforts, Haynes said.
“Those auction items augment this,” she said. “We probably make a net of maybe $2,000.”
The net amount of $2,000 consists of all funds raised after cruise-related expenses, including the rental costs for The Sandpiper and the provided food and drinks, said Nabeel Jabarin, OWE Security treasurer.
“All of the money we bring in during a given year, 92 percent of that goes to funding the patrols,” Jabarin said. “The other 8 percent goes to administrative costs.”
To protect residents of the Old West End, OWE Security employs the services of Signal 88 Security, an armed-guard company based out of Omaha, Neb.
The agency patrols the neighborhoods multiple times a day and is paid on a per-patrol basis.
While neighborhood membership fees pay for patrols during crucial hours of the day, Haynes said this annual fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to pay for more necessary patrol hours.
“We’re a lot of fun, but we’re responsible. Our focus is to make as much money as we can so we can pay for more patrols and introduce more people to OWE Security,” Haynes said. “When it comes right down to it, it’s not just a ‘fun-raiser,’ it’s a fundraiser. We want to expand our donor base … We’re neighbors watching out for neighbors.”
Old West End Security is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safety and security to residents of the neighborhood through subscription-based memberships that pay for daily patrols. To join the organization or to register for the cruise, visit OWE Security online at www.oldwestendsecurity.com.
