While getting to taste some of the best food in town, area residents on Friday raised more than $10,000 to benefit the Big Island Rendezvous and Festival Education Days and the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

Meeting for the Ninth Annual Gourmet Auction at the Ramada Inn, people were able to first feast on the skill of area chefs and restaurants while then bidding on a variety of prizes. All time, food and items for bid were donated.

Before the event began, organizer Perry Vining instructed people how it would take place.

The directions were simple.

For one hour, people could walk around the exterior of the room to the tables of a dozen area chefs and restaurants. When at each table, they could get a bite or two of whatever that chef or restaurant was handing out, Vining said. It gave the chef or restaurant the opportunity to showcase their food.

There were items such as cake, pies, meats, sandwiches and soups.

People could go around time and time again to the tables if they chose to during that hour or until the food was gone.

The chefs and servers were from Crescendo Fine Dining, Applebee’s Grill & Bar, Lakeside Café & Creamery, American Legion Post 56, Ramada Inn/Big Island Bar & Grill, Famous Dave’s Barbecue of Owatonna, Piggy Blues Barbecue, Nelson’s Market Place and Hy-Vee. Others were Beth Atz, Pat Johannsen and Dennis Souba & Son.

Vining called that hour a “feeding frenzy,” as people would go up to the tables time and time again for samples of the chef or restaurant’s popular culinary delights.

During that same time and going until 8 p.m., people also had the chance to bid on more than three dozen silent auction items, including things such as gym memberships, tickets to sporting games, gift certificates and dinners, to name a few. The silent auction raised more than $2,000.

At 7:30 p.m., the live auction began, with auctioneer Mark Ditlevson encouraging people to spend any resources they had to go toward the cause.

Some of the highest bidded items included a 2009 membership to Wedgewood Cove Golf Club & Estates for $550, a week’s vacation at Breezy Point Resort for four people the week of the Fourth of July for $700, and a family membership for the Albert Lea Family Y for $300.

Other peopular items included a “Taste of Liberty” international dinner for six hosted and prepared by Randy and Ellen Kehr, a package including two VIP tickets with backstage passes to a concert of chioce plus dinner for two at Woodfire Grille and $50 in Diamond Dollars at Diamond Jo Casino, a barbecue party for 12 of ribs and sauce by Piggy Blues, and a custom-catered dinner for eight created by Scott Fadden of Nelson’s Market Place.

There were also household memberships for the Science Museum of Minnesota, a jacuzzi motel room night with gift certificate to the Ramada and Big Island Bar & Grill, framed artwork by Brick Furniture, tickets to sporting events, and lots and lots of delicious food.

The live auction raised more than $7,000.

Vining said there was a record crowd and a record amount of money raised.

He was grateful to all involved.

Last year, a little more than $7,000 was raised in total.

The Tenth Annual Gourmet Auction is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2010, at the Wedgewood Cove Golf Club & Estates.