As the 144th Kentucky Derby took place, over 100 area residents joined in the excitement, courtesy of the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club at the third annual party in support of the Community Center.

The event raised about $1,700 from a silent auction, $1,500 from admission and additional funds from tickets on the horses. 

Party organizers and workers made sure the event provided plenty of hors d’oeuvres and desserts, the bar was ably manned by Jim Stormont and Darren Graves), and that the local version of a betting window was open.

Paul Johnson and Amber Jones provided the music as guests dropped tickets into betting buckets labeled for each horse, and bid on silent auction items including gift certificates and merchandise donated by  Janson's Clothing, House of Logan, Hammond Lumber, Reny's, Pinkham's Seafood, Robinson's Wharf, Atlantic Edge, Oceanside Golf Resort, Flagship Motel, Whale's Tail Restaurant, Edgecomb Potters, Hair It Is, Cutting Edge, Hawke Motors, Coastal Carwash, AE Pottery, Down East Gallery, Tugboat Inn, and Bob Crink Photography.

In what has now become a tradition, Pam Utley led attendees in singing “My Old Kentucky Home” just prior to the start of the race. Bells clanged as the race began and the crowd cheered for their favorites as the “fastest two minutes in sports” appeared via the live broadcast on the huge clubhouse screen.

With the Derby winner decided, a ticket was drawn from the corresponding bidding bucket for the grand prize. Henry Wyatt won and refused to accept the items because he had donated the prize.  Boothbay resident and local antiques dealer  of  The Wizard of Odds and Ends Richard Plunkett won the grand prize on the second drawing. Telling the crowd, “I’ve never won anything before,” he accepted his prize, a vase of red roses and a basket of items from Kentucky.

Other winners at the event were Fleet Davies, Laurie Zimmerli, Helen and Ham Meserve, Debbie Graves, Irene Fowle, Connie Heroy, Sandra Leonard, Lucy Cressey, Margie Spratt, Ann Demeranville, Tom Hagen, Jean Huber, Rick Elder, Debbie Profitt, Nan van Hasselt, and Daren Graves.