The 2020 Taste of Hope Gala benefitting Inter-Faith Food Shuttle was held Sunday, January 26 at the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel. A festive crowd gathered to enjoy the evening which featured a six-course dinner prepared by local chefs, exciting live and silent auctions, a wine pull, and a paddle raise to benefit BackPack Buddies—the Food Shuttle’s signature program to help eliminate childhood hunger. All told, the evening’s fundraising efforts raised over $126,000 to support hunger programs for the organization. The Master of Ceremonies for the event was Ken Smith, anchorman and reporter at WRAL.
The dinner was one of the highlights with each course prepared by a different chef: Jim Hinger of Horizon Catering (the social enterprise catering company from Inter-Faith Food Shuttle), Sean Fowler of Mandolin, Daniel Schurr of Second Empire, and Kevin Smith of Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel. There were four live auction items that offered everything from a “Knife Fight” Dinner Party for 10 with two Rocky Top Catering chefs, and a Pastry Class for Eight with Chef Jim Hinger, to a stay in Kinston, NC that includes a tour of the Social House Vodka Distillery and dinner at the Chef and the Farmer, to finally a Pig Pickin’ Party for 40 with Chef Jake Wood of Lawrence BBQ. Local auctioneer, Ben Farrell, kept the crowd cheering and bidding and the live auction alone raised over $7,000. The Taste of Hope Committee planned every details from start to finish and includes: Maxine Solomon - co-Founder of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Sally Bache, Michelle Masella Corcoran, Donna Hovis, Kim Brame McGimsey, Reneè Saddler, Julie Stewart, Sara Walker, and emeritus member, Ann Marco.
Sponsors for the event included Aetna, Duke Raleigh Hospital, WakeMed, the Seby B. Jones Family Foundation, the James & Mildred Wilkinson Charitable Foundation, Coastal Credit Union, U.S. Foods, Walker Auto & Truck, Pinnacle Financial Partners, CGI, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Event Partners for the 2020 Taste of Hope included Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel, the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation, Tim and Hope Pflaum, Bobby Moody of “Moment’s Notice”, and CBS17.
“We are grateful for the generosity of our community that supported the 26th Annual Taste of Hope Gala. The support provided enhances our efforts to make sure our most vulnerable neighbors; children, families and seniors have food, a critical basic need I might add, to lead an active and productive life,” says Bethann James, Interim CEO of the Food Shuttle.
