The fifth annual Dining in the Pines fundraiser, benefiting the Moore Free Care Clinic, has wrapped up its activities for 2009, raising more than $42,000 for the clinic.

Sixty-seven couples hosted dinner parties over a two-week period in October, followed by more parties over the holiday season. Events ranged from large cocktail parties to intimate dinner parties, with several Sunday brunches thrown in, to round out the dining extravaganza.

An online auction was conducted over the same two weeks raising $5,200.

"New this year was the addition of e-Bay's 'Mission Fish' charitable arm that allowed us to auction off our golf packages and basketball tickets to a wider audience," says Bobbi Erdman, creator of the Dining in the Pines concept. "We received bids from California, Massachusetts and New York." Other items of note that were auctioned off: learning to drive on a high performance race track, a stay at a Bear Creek cabin and dinner for eight at a committee member's home.

Sponsors of the event included Dr. Sklandany, of Dental Design Innovations; Harris Printing Co. Inc.; First Bank; BB&T; Doctors Vision Center; Southern Pines Woman's Health Center; N.C. Self Storage; and Terry Riney Insurance Agency.

Committee member Kathy Lannon praised the great turnout.

"We want 2010 to be even bigger," she says. "We hope to expand the fundraiser to all parts of Moore County to build awareness for the Moore Free Care Clinic, which serves people with no insurance and low income from the entire county."