NORTH WEBSTER - A "Save The Dixie" fundraiser will be held Saturday at 6 p.m.
The American Legion Post 253, North Webster, will host the event which is open to the public.
An evening of fun is planned with a dance band, picnic food and a line auction. All proceeds from the auction go to the "Save The Dixie" fund.The Dixie is a piece of history that has been traveling around North Webster Lake since 1929 and is Indiana's oldest sternwheel paddleboat.
About a year ago the DNR said the Dixie can't run because it needs repairs and they would not pass it for inspection, said Linda Land, administrative assistant at the American Legion.
The DNR said the boat needed around $120,000 in upgrades, but a non-profit organization has been raising funds to keep the historical boat running.
Karilyn Metcalf, head of Dixie Sternwheeler Inc., said the repairs have been made. The Porter Thunderbird Boat Co. has redone all the wiring, put in new fuel tanks, put in extra lights and a new sound system, among other upgrades.
The DNR is expected to arrive soon for an inspection, but meanwhile, money needs to be raised to pay for the Dixie's upgrade.
"The money we are raising now will pay for the repairs and the labor of the crew," Metcalf said.
Following is a partial list of items donated by local merchants and friends of the Dixie to be auctioned at the event: wooden sail boat, golden mermaid; audio DVD player sound system, J.C. Pontoon; sterling silver Dixie replica necklace, Artistry In Gold; ski vests, Bart's Ski Shop; Marilyn Copeland oil painting, Future Heirlooms; gift certificate, Pilcher's Shoes; meat bundle, Jones Grocery and Meat Market; antique table and eight chairs, Bookkeeping Plus; storm door, Tippecanoe Siding; coupon, Strombeck Bros. Septic; ice cream freezer/chocolate fountain party pak, Ace Hardware; filing cabinets, Able Printing; coolers, Mutual Federal Savings Bank; travel suitcase, Key Bank; free haircut, Porky's Barber Shop; oil change, Tom's Truck Repair; Cerulean Restaurant Sushi Lounge gift certificate, Tom and Diane Ellis; Ye Olde Pub gift certificate, Rhoades Insurance; and other various items from Lakeland Spinal, Crystal Flash, Consegna, Lance's New Market, The Book Fool, BC Tile and Floor Covering, Lake City Bank, Lake Lube, A.K. Hare, Sign Graphics and Sunrise Photography.
