(Graphic by Metro Creative)

ISHPEMING — Even though Valentine’s Day has come and gone, romance will still be in the air for the Ishpeming Rotary Club and its supporters on Saturday.

The club will host its 36th annual Evening of Romance in the Grand Ballroom at the Northern Center on Northern Michigan University’s campus.

The dinner and dance gala, which starts with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m., is an opportunity for area residents to dress up for a formal fun night out while directly giving back to their community, Ishpeming Rotary Club President Lance Peterson said.

“It’s important to note that the money we raise stays local. It funds projects as well as scholarships and local organizations,” Peterson said. “But at the same time, Rotary service connects us to the world.”

Attendees will be able to enjoy a buffet-style dinner at 7 p.m. followed by a live auction. The evening will be capped by music provided by Westerly Winds, an 18-piece jazz and swing band.

The club is made up of members from western Marquette County areas such as Ishpeming, west Ishpeming, Negaunee and Michigamme. The club supports local schools and economic and community development in a variety of ways, he said.

“We have a little bit different dynamic in our rotary club because we represent four different communities trying to do some stuff in the west end,” Peterson said. “We are trying to bring people to these communities, give them a reason to come further west.”

Two of the club’s current projects are designed to do just that, he said.

“We are working on a project right now to put in two Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible docks on Teal Lake — one on the Ishpeming side and one on the Negaunee side — and we will also be working with the Vista Theater in the coming months to upgrade some of the interior of that building.”

The dock systems on Teal Lake will be similar to the one used at Clark Lambros’ Beach Park in Marquette, Peterson said, noting it is expected to be installed by 2022.

The club has partnered with the city of Negaunee, the city of Ishpeming, the SAIL Disability Network of the Upper Peninsula, the U.P. Rowing Club and Water’s Edge Dock & Hoist company to complete the project.

“These docks should provide some access to the lake from both ends, allowing small craft — like kayaks and canoes — as well as a place specifically on the Negaunee side of Teal Lake for the U.P. Rowing Club to launch their boats from.”

The Vista Theater project is expected to help with interior rehabilitation such as seating and other necessary upgrades, Peterson said, some of which could be completed by the end of 2020.

Peterson said the local organization is made stronger by being a part of Rotary International, but local involvement and service is a keystone of the effort.

“We are literally a service organization, which means we don’t just throw money at a project, we work together to fix it,” he said. “Service above self is the motto of the organization, and that doesn’t mean just money, that’s part of it, but the most rewarding part of any of this is to see a project happen right in front of you and to be a part of that larger community.”

Any contribution matters, he said, which makes Saturday’s event even more important to the organization and the community.

“Above all, we just want people to come out and have a good time for the good of the community,” Peterson said.

Tickets are $75 per person or a business or organization can sponsor a 10-person table for $750. Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com/e/36th-annual-an-evening-of-romance-tickets-84888011327 or from Peterson who can be reached by phone at 906-250-7988. Tickets are also available from other Ishpeming Rotary Club members.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242.