Join Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan for our annual dinner fundraiser at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman!
2026 Annual Dinner Fundraiser
Friday, October 9, 2026
4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets: $150 per person
Join us to experience the awe-inspiring sight of majestic elk in their natural habitat during an Elk Viewing Carriage Ride. The carriage ride will continue to Pine Street in Hillman to view the 3 most recent homes built by Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan. Includes a gourmet dinner and wine tasting at Thunder Bay Resort, 27800 M-32, Hillman, MI 49746.
Raffle tickets are on sale now!
1st Prize: Custom-made deer blind
2nd Prize: $500 gift certificate to Royston Guns & Ammo
3rd Prize: $250 CASH
(Need not be present to win)
Raffle tickets are 1/$10 or 5/$40 available at the Habitat office and ReStore, 2630 US-23, Alpena.
Drawing will be held at 8:00 PM on Friday, Oct. 9 at the dinner.
To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact:
Jennifer Nestell at (989) 340-0819 or jennifer.nestell@habitatnemi.org or Darby Hinkley at (989) 340-1059 or darby.hinkley@habitatnemi.org.
This year’s special event will feature elk viewing, Thunder Bay Resort’s signature gourmet dinner and wine tasting, keynote speaker Matt Nahan of orsa foundation, homeowner stories, a mystery silent auction, raffle prizes, and more! The horse-drawn carriage tour will take a special detour just for Habitat guests to view the three current homes under construction on Pine Street in Hillman, followed by a traditional elk viewing tour through the woods on Thunder Bay Resort property, and a gourmet dinner and program at Thunder Bay Resort Lodge. Tickets to the dinner are $150 per person, which includes the elk viewing carriage ride, dinner, wine tasting, and program. There will also be a mystery silent auction with riddle clues about the items you are bidding on. Please arrive by 3:30 p.m. and park in the front parking lot by the clubhouse, and the carriage will depart at 4 p.m. and take guests past the Pine Street homes and back to the Lodge in the woods, where a gourmet dinner will be served starting at 6 p.m.
Thunder Bay Resort Gourmet Dinner Menu:
Pear & apple dumpling
Shrimp cocktail
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Vegetable soup
Thunder Bay’s Signature Sweet Salad
Butter croissant
Crown roast of pork with pan-roasted redskin potatoes
White chocolate mousse filled pizzelles with fresh berries
Wine tasting: 3 table wines — 2 red, 1 white
Additional tastings: mandarin, lemon and ice wine
Contact darby.hinkley@habitatnemi.org or jennifer.nestell@habitatnemi.org for tickets or more information. You may also purchase dinner tickets online at habitatnemi.org/fundraising.
We are seeking sponsors! Please consider supporting our continued mission of providing safe, affordable shelter and critical home repairs to those in need in Northeast Michigan. Sponsorships are available in a variety of levels. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so if you’ve ever wanted to support Habitat, now is the time! Everyone is invited, but only 100 tickets are available, so reserve yours today! If you have questions, call 989-354-5555 and ask for Darby or Jenny.
