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).
