What is it to be a Lake Highlander? Is it screaming at the top of your lungs at a Wildcat football game (at the guy who took your parking space)? Is it going for a moonlight sail on White Rock Lake (and using the optional wheels for your boat, if necessary)?

Is it salivating over a custom-baked Lake Highlands. “Rock” cake from ST Cafe (and then having to go ahead and pay for it because you salivated a little too much)?

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I’m sure you would agree with me that all of these are vignettes (i.e., little “vign”) of what it means to be a member of our community. And, of course, I would be most remiss if I failed to mention another Lake Highlands tradition – a summer night at PT’s with the family.

What a great way to come together as a family and demonstrate good, wholesome family values. It’s an even better night if you can swing by the retirement community next door and pick up Grandpa to join in the family fun.

All of these experiences (except for family night at PT’s) and more were represented at last month’s annual Lake Highlands Exchange Club auction and dinner. Having now attended this event for the past three years, I have decided that no single event better defines Lake Highlands.

Not only does this event define Lake Highlands, but it’s pretty darn successful at raising money, too. This year, the Exchange Club auction raised more than $45,000 (most of which was contributed by Easy and Debbie Ezell for a long ski weekend in Steamboat Springs – should be a nice trip!).

Over 400 people attended, including our new Congressman Pete Sessions, our new Councilman Alan Walne, and our sort-of-new Constable Mike Pappas.

The entertainment for the evening was provided by a snappy choral group from Lake Highlands High School called “Espree,” which sang a selection of oldies from the ’50s, correctly assuming that the people spending money would prefer Fats Domino and the Shirelles over Metallica, Twisted Sister and Nine-Inch Nails.

The Exchange Club collected more than 500 items for the auction, and I think my wife bid on every one of them. One very important item we successfully bet on was a collection of Barney items – a Barney doll, a Barney book, a Barney T-shirt, a carton of Barney cigarettes, a six-pack of Barney beer (just kidding).

Some of the other items auctioned this year included two one-way tickets on the Hale-Bopp Comet Express, donated by Heaven’s Gate (at the time, no one understood the significance); a statue of former RISD superintendent Vernon Johnson made from silt dredged from White Rock Lake; a gift certificate from Herb’s “Let Me Dent Your Fender” Shop, which then entitles you to a gift certificate from Herb’s Paint and Body Shop. (I smell something fishy!)

All in all, the evening was a lot of fun and very successful. Our hosts were the consummate Lake Highlanders, Steve and Carol Baker. Carol was deathly afraid that I would mention her in my column, so I am hereby instructing my editor to delete all references to the gracious and generous Baker family, including their daughter Allison, who is now a Wildcat cheerleader.

If anyone wants to know what it’s like to be a part of the Lake Highlands family, just go to the Exchange Club auction. And if anyone wants to know what it’s like to live in a real family community, come visit Lake Highlands (except on family night at PT’s).