A dozen live auction items and about 60 silent auction items will be available for guests to bid on.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
The Friends of Lake Panorama annual Beach Ball fundraiser is Friday, June 12. The Beach Ball will be held at The Captain’s Pick at Lake Panorama National Resort.
The event features a similar format as previous years with guests seated at round tables for eight in the banquet room. Registration opened in early April, and as of early May, 21 of the 25 tables are filled.
This 14K yellow gold pendant necklace features a round brilliant cut diamond on a 14K yellow gold 20-inch box chain from the gold factories of Italy. It was donated by Ames Silversmithing, owned by Gary and Karen Youngberg. The Youngberg family has a home at Lake Panorama. The necklace, which has a retail value of $1,095, will be awarded to the highest bidder at the 2026 Beach Ball live auction.
Check in is 4:30-5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner featuring smoked beef brisket and pork loins beginning at 6 p.m. A cash bar will open at 4:30 p.m. Funds will be raised with both live and silent auctions, plus a couple of side games.
There are several options for those interested in supporting the event. Members of the Friends Beach Club provide additional financial support to Friends of Lake Panorama beyond the cost of the meal.
Prices for 2026 Beach Club memberships are Friends Beach Club Premier: $1000 — includes table sponsorship, eight dinner tickets, name in the 2026 Beach Ball program; Friends Beach Club Couple: $300 — includes two dinner tickets, name in the program; and Friends Beach Club Sponsor: $200 — includes table sponsorship, name in the program.
A limited number of individual meal tickets are available at $60 each.
Donated items for both the live and silent auctions are being sought. To register for the 2026 Beach Ball or discuss donating an auction item, text or call Susan Thompson at 515-240-6536 or Shanell Wagler at 515-371-0505. Or send an email to staff@friendsoflakepanorama.org.
There will be a dozen live auction items and about 60 silent auction items available for guests to bid on.
Some live auction items already committed have been popular at past Beach Balls. This year’s Cyclone football package is for the Saturday, Nov. 28, ISU vs. Kansas State game. This package includes four tickets in ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard’s suite in the Jacobsen Building, food and soft drinks during the game, and a VIP parking pass.
A six-course gourmet meal for six with wine pairings, prepared, served and donated by Bill and Karen Fitzgerald, will be offered to the highest bidder during the live auction.
This gift basket, valued at $375, includes a Boyt Harness Sportsman’s Duffel, bottle of George Dickel Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, two Riedel All American Bourbon glasses and assorted snacks. Insight Wealth Group donated this for the 2026 Beach Ball auction.
Ames Silversmithing, owned by Gary and Karen Youngberg, donated a yellow gold pendant necklace, with a round brilliant cut diamond, finished with a 20-inch yellow gold box chain.
The Friends board of directors met May 1 to finalize plans for the Beach Ball, and discuss how proceeds from the event may be allocated.
Last year, Friends of Lake Panorama introduced plans for hard-surface walking paths at Boulder Beach and Sunset Beach. The LPA board approved this concept to create safer walking options at Lake Panorama by getting walkers off LPA’s narrow, winding roads.
At its May 1 meeting, the board approved a proposal to focus current fundraising on the Boulder Beach path, and use a significant portion of 2026 Beach Ball profits for this. Once it is complete, plans for a similar path at Sunset Beach will be revisited.
The Boulder Beach concrete path will be 6 feet wide and 5 inches thick. It will offer various access points from the parking lot, then wind along the lake, loop around trees, and provide access to beach amenities. The final layout will be determined once the fundraising goal is reached.
Also, some funds raised at this year’s Beach Ball will support Lake Panorama National golf course improvement projects.
At its April 27 meeting, the LPN Board of Managers approved a forward tee box renovation project for this fall, pending donations. The tees included are holes 1, 2, 4 and 15. These were removed from the 2024 tee box renovation project due to financial constraints.
Those who want to donate auction items and designate the proceeds from those items for LPN golf course improvement projects may do so.
Friends of Lake Panorama is a nonprofit charity that was established in 2013 in response to LPA members asking for ways they could give back to the Lake Panorama community with an estate gift or other tax-deductible donations. The IRS granted Friends 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in July 2014.
Since then, Friends projects have included improvements to playgrounds at all three beaches, sports courts at Boulder and Sunset beaches, dog park, south shore recreational area that includes trails, disc golf, benches and a picnic shelter, enhancements to the Panorama West Nature Trail, and more than 20 new benches at beaches and golf courses.
Details on all past and current projects are available on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org. Friends of Lake Panorama also has a Facebook page.