A festive lobster bake will kick off the Boothbay Charities Classic starting Friday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. under the big top at the Boothbay Railway Village, Route 27, Boothbay. 

A fundraiser to benefit the Special Olympics of Maine, the lobster bake will feature succulent seafood, a sports auction, and a chance to mingle with celebrities. This year marks the 22nd celebration of the Boothbay Charities Classic, and the bake routinely draws a variety of locals and sports stars to the event. Non-golfers who wish to attend the bake can purchase tickets by contacting Brenda Blackman at 633-6280. Tickets for the bake are $40, or included in the fee for playing in the celebrity golf tournament the following day. 

During the bake, guests can bid on items at the silent auction that runs through dinner, or stay for the live auction which starts around 6 p.m. The auction is free to attend and will feature autographed sports memorabilia from sports legends: Steve Young, Emmit Smith, Rob Gronkowski and many more. For questions or donations of auction items, contact Tom Erskine at 633-6103. 

Special Olympics Maine is a year round athletic training and competition program for persons of all ages with intellectual disabilities. In Maine there are 3,200 athletes who participate in the program. Each year the Boothbay Charities Classic raises $30,000 for Special Olympics. All proceeds from this event will benefit Special Olympics Maine.