Published: August 31, 2011
Mooresville residents can get a “Taste of the Lake” Sept. 17 while raising money for Lowe’s YMCA.
Beginning at 6 p.m., chefs from Epic Chophouse, Ted’s Famous Chicken, A Tasteful Solution, Prickly Pear, La Patisserie, the Daily Grind, Shoals Saloon and Grill and Hickory Tavern will offer up their best dishes for the public’s tasting pleasure.
A silent auction will be held all evening, and a live auction will begin at 8 p.m.
The cost is $50 per person.
“The idea for ‘Taste of the Lake’ came from our board members as a way to raise money for our community outreach fund,” said Special Events Coordinator Leslie Byers. “The event is a way to showcase dishes from local restaurants, while enjoying live music and maybe winning a great item up for auction.
“We have some really great items to auction off, including Panthers tickets with a helicopter ride, a plane ride over Lake Norman, a condo on Kiawah Island and a Richard Petty driving experience.
We’re still looking for some nice, upscale auction items, like weekend getaways, so there will be a lot to bid on, and we would love to find a title sponsor.”
The event will be at the Lake Norman home of Randy and Betty Marion, who were benefactors of the chapel at the Lowe’s YMCA.
“The Randy Marion Auto Group is a family organization, as is the YMCA,” said Randy Marion. “The YMCA reaches people of all economic backgrounds and encourages involvement from kids, parents and grandparents. It’s a wonderful tool to strengthen the family.”
He said his family jumped at the chance to host the event.
“We wanted to help, because we’ve attended this event in the past and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.
“Overall, it’s one of the best fundraisers I’ve been to, and I hope this year will have the most attendance it’s ever gotten.
“By coming to the event, you can sample area restaurants you may not have tried before and maybe it will encourage you to eat there again,” he said. “It’s very important to me to support local businesses.”
All proceeds from the event will go to community outreach, supporting programs like Y-Readers, which promotes literacy, and Livestrong at the Y, which supports cancer patients and survivors. The money will also pay for camps and lessons for local children who would not otherwise be able to afford them.
“Last year, we raised $42,000, most of it from our live auction,” said Byers. “We’re off to a good start with our table sales, and I hope that will continue.”
He said that the event is one of the Y’s better fundraisers and is geared toward adults. “Most of what we do is geared toward families, but this is a fun event for an upscale, adult crowd and could make a great date night,” she said.
For tickets or more information, call Bart Cape at 704-716-4004 or email bart.cape@ymcacharlotte.org
