The traditional fall cornucopia basket of chrysanthemums, squash, mini-pumpkins and fresh fruit was swapped with the traditional "wheelbarrow full of wine" as symbolic centerpiece at the seventh annual Coldwell Banker "Gifts from the Heart" fund-raiser, Boot Scootin' Barbecue, at Fuji Park on Saturday night.
At last glance, the highest bid for the handcart full of hooch was over $500 and rising.
"It's great to be in a community where we can give so much back," said co-chair of the festivities, Laura Garfin, dressed in her finest Virginia City boomtown chic. "We're the largest single donor to Meals on Wheels in the area," she added.
The non-traditional autumn bouquet was among those items up on the blocks for charities such as Advocates to End Domestic Violence, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Gardeners Reclaiming Our Waysides, Meals on Wheels and Safe Grad Night for Carson and Dayton High Schools.
Other items included a kayak donated by The Sporting Rage, one year of Web site hosting and design donated by Noble Studios and a week in a Park City, Utah vacation home.
While contours of heartache and hope threaded through the sound holes of world-class fiddler Randy Pollard, a packed house full of realtors, families and friends celebrated the recent real estate boom with food catered by Molly's Gourmet Catering, music by Virginia City headliners David John and The Comstock Cowboys.
Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.