Lighthouse Charity Concert Event a Hit

What do you do when you need close to half a million dollars and 650 tons of rocks to save a pile of concrete in the middle of a harbor?

You fundraise. This weekend, the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society is holding a series of fundraiser concerts at Coneys Marine on New York Avenue.

On Friday, singer Risa Finkel performed American standards for a sold-out audience in the first of three Boatyard Cabaret concerts in the boatyard. Tonight’s concert also is sold out, but a few seats remain for . 

Dressed in a slinky, glittery gown, Finkel performed popular torch and cabaret songs in a shed that just last week held a large boat being sanded and readied for the season. Those songs included “Fever,” which she called John Finely’s favorite song.

Many features about the night were a tribute to Finley, including the bow ties and boaters worn by members of the preservation society as they served snacks and drinks in the boatyard shed while people chatted and looked at displays about the group’s efforts to restore and preserve the lighthouse.

Finley, who died unexpectedly in November, owned Finley’s of Greene Street. He supported efforts to restore the lighthouse and loved Finkel’s singing, so the event came together. “He showed us how to live life with gusto,” Finkel said. “He taught us to do it now. Tonight is about friendship and community. So many people volunteered to make this happen.”

Members of Finkel's band were Paul Greenwood on piano, Alisa Horn on cello, Steve Bartosik on percussion and drums and Boots Maleson on bass.

Among those attending the show was Kathleen Sharkey, who was a caretaker in the 1980s on property overlooking the lighthouse in the bay and remembers its previous poor condition. “It’s really a nice thing to see it resurrected,” Sharkey said.

The preservation group hopes to do some repairs by the end of the year, said Pamela Setchell, president, to help prevent more winter storm damage to the base.

She estimated that with grants and donated labor, the group has already spent about three-quarters of a million dollars to stabilize and repair the structure. “Some of the edges are in poor shape. The cement landing platform on the side is in peril,” Setchell said.

The word of the night was rip rap, which are 3- to 5-ton boulders that are needed to prevent the concrete base from being destroyed by lapping waves. The group also is seeking a grant to help pay for the repairs.

The lighthouse group has been working since 1985 to save and restore the 42-foot high lighthouse. Next year, it will celebrate the lighthouse’s first 100 years. The society sells engraved paving stones to raise money and also rents the lighthouse for 4-hour events.

Other fundraisers planned this year include guided , which leave from Gold Star Battalion Beach; the Thanksgiving weekend Boat Parade; and the 5th  annual Lighthouse Music Festival on Labor Day weekend, this year on Sept. 3, from 11 a.m. until sunset.