Full House at Cookout at the Ranch III

Residents turn out in record numbers to support Scenic Drive and preservation

 Mac Donald's Ranch. Saturday: June 6, 1998 

It all added up to a great time!  Take a good cause and add a natural Sonoran desert location, great food, fun-packed entertainment, a pleasantly warm evening, generous sponsors, tremendous community support and you get a sold out event.  More than 500 residents and visitors rode the haywagons into the wilds of  Mac Donald's Ranch to enjoy a complete steak cookout provided by Outback Steakhouse.     Volunteers Edie Shannon (white hat) and Kim Young (right) collect tickets as guests wait for haywagon.  

As promised, Al Raitano and his band had people up dancing and having a good time. Folks also enjoyed 16 interesting exhibits on preservation and history that were arranged by the event's co-organizer, the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust (to link to their Web site visit Links to Other Sites).   More than 60 local merchants sponsored a silent auction and raffle by donating goods or services.  Congressman J.D. Hayworth, Scottsdale's Mayor Kathryn "Sam" Campana and Vice Mayor, Mary Manross, made a lot of people happy by drawing the winning raffle tickets.

Organized by Friends and McDowell Sonoran Land Trust

Cookout at the Ranch III is was organized by the volunteers of Friends of the Scenic Drive and the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust to benefit the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve.   As the Trust's pamphlet says, "... it's not just the mountains that need to be saved.  It's our history, our wildlife, our spectacular deserts, and the cultural and economic benefits they bring to our community."  Click here to learn more about  plans to preserve scenic corridors and desert open space.  Maps of the   planned McDowell Sonoran Preserve and the original Scenic Drive are shown below. 

The major sponsors of Cookout at the Ranch III, Outback Steakhouse and MacDonald's Ranch, have indicated they are  interested in sponsoring the event next year (see Cookout at the Ranch IV for evolving details).