Rottermond Jewelers and LaFontaine Automotive Group held an evening fundraiser dubbed Mission Possible to benefit the Ann Arbor, Mich.–based children’s charity Ele’s Place on Oct. 5.

About 250 guests purchased tickets at $75 each from the Brighton, Mich., jewelry store to mingle and sip premium wines and to sample one-of-a-kind appetizers by award-winning chef Brian Polcyn and the Forest Grill in Birmingham. (“Not your everyday meatballs and cheese!” quips store vice president Cindi Rottermond.) The two-hour evening event took place at the Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton, which houses one of the largest car collections in the United States, featuring 190 rare Corvettes, muscle cars, and exotics (think Bugatti Veyron, Enzo Ferrari, and a Lamborghini Reventón). Michigan’s First Lady Sue Snyder was the guest of honor.
 
During the affair, Rottermond Jewelers displayed special collections from Rolex, Hearts On Fire, Gregg Ruth, Kattan, and Rahaminov Diamonds. A Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch valued at $6,300—which could be traded up by the winner—was donated as a raffle prize by the 27-year-old jeweler. About 250 raffle tickets sold for $50 each; added to sales from the event tickets, a total of $30,685 was raised for Ele’s Place.
 
Founded in 1991 in Lansing, Mich., Ele’s Place is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to providing support for children and their families who are grieving from the loss of a loved one. “Kristen Lingenfelter, the owner of the car collection, is a supporter of Ele’s Place. Se helped me learn more about it,” says Rottermond. “We met some of the kids in the program and saw how beneficial it is. It’s a free service for them and their families.”
 
Ele’s Ann Arbor location opened in 2007; each week, it supports an average of 130 children and their families at no cost.

JCK