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Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is Saturday

Written By Scott Joseph On August 22, 2009

taste of the nationShare Our Strength will celebrate it’s 20th annual Taste of the Nation Saturday, August 29, 2009, with a gala benefit at the Orange County Convention Center.

No, celebrate isn’t the right word. In a just world this event wouldn’t have gone past its fifth anniversary. But the beneficiaries of TotN are the organizations that fight hunger in America, and the problem of people going hungry is not only still pervasive, it’s getting worse. This from the Share Our Strength organization:

More than 12 million children are facing hunger in America. In Central Florida alone, 350,000 people are living at or below the poverty level – 24% of them are children. We are working to change those numbers.

    Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is dedicated to making sure no kid in America grows up hungry. Funds raised through Taste of the Nation events provide grants to organizations in the United States and abroad that work successfully to end childhood hunger. Funds raised in 2008 supported 156 organizations in the United States, Canada and abroad. Since our first “Taste” took place in 1990, together we’ve helped raise nearly 2.2 million to help in the fight against hunger.  This year’s beneficiaries are the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. Demand for services and assistance are at disaster levels for both organizations.

So what is Taste of the Nation? It’s about 30 chefs from the area’s top restaurants coming together to cook and serve samples of their finest creations. And it’s about wines and spirits to wash it all down. It’s about wandering from station to station to sip and sample, and chatting with people you know and people you don’t about what they’ve tried and what they like and what they’re going to rush off to eat next.

And it’s about silently saying thanks that we’re not among those who will go to bed hungry tonight, just as we did not go hungry the day before. That’s why we come together like this every year, because it’s what we can do to help.

Tickets are $100 for general admission or $125 for VIP, which gets you into a specail seating area. The participating chefs, who donate their time and food, are giving so much more than the cost of the ticket, and believe me, you’ll easily eat and drink your money’s worth.

You can buy tickets and get further information about the event at Taste of the Nation’s Web site. The event will be Saturday, August 29, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the OCCC’s Valencia Ballroom, 9800 International Drive, Orlando.

I’ll see you there, and let’s make this a really great event, because in a perfect world, this one will be the last.

There’s only one course on today’s Sunday Buffet in commemoration of all those in America who won’t have even one course today.

We hope you find our reviews and news articles useful and entertaining. It has always been our goal to assist you in making informed decisions when spending your dining dollars. If we’ve helped you in any way, please consider making a contribution to help us continue our journalism. Thank you.

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