Gala event premieres to raise funds
By Sara Plummer World Staff Writer
3/21/2007
For executive chef Barry Rashford, feeding more than 200 people is a snap.
"It's pretty simple," said Rashford, who cooked for parties of 5,000 to 6,000 people when he was a chef at Disney World. "It's not a big deal."
Rashford will prepare 218 meals for Owasso's Best Gala, a fundraiser for Owasso Community Resources.
Jeanette North, executive director for the nonprofit organization, said that in past years, the fundraiser had been a restaurant crawl. This year's event is a formal dinner with live entertainment and a silent and live auction. The gala begins at 6:30 p.m. March 31 in the Bailey Education Foundation banquet room in Bailey Medical Center. North said her goal is to raise $80,000.
"I always set it double what I think we'll be able to get," she said.
Owasso Community Resources offers a food pantry, counseling services, utility assistance and referrals to other agencies. Last year, it provided 575 backpacks with school supplies to Owasso Public Schools, Thanksgiving meals to 175 families, Christmas gifts to 430 children and approximately $48,000 in utility assistance to residents in Owasso and Collinsville.
North said she hopes to raise a portion of the 2007 operating budget at
this event, something the organization has never done before.
The Bailey Education Foundation's event room in Bailey Medical Center provided the opportunity to expand this year's event. Marna Salts is Bailey Education Foundation administrator.
"The building was built for the community. We don't charge nonprofits," Salts said.
Bailey Medical Center is donating the kitchen and chef services.
"What's interesting is we're getting all this food donated," Rashford said.
He created a menu from those foods.
Rashford volunteered to cook the meals after North spoke to him about the gala.
"It helps out the community, and it's good for the hospital," he said.
Rashford and Ryan Woodward, dietary and catering manager at Bailey Medical Center, said the Bistro at Bailey doesn't fit people's preconceived notion of hospital food.
The gala menu is a tossed green salad with sun-dried tomato basil vinaigrette; herb crusted beef with burgundy bordelaise and pan-seared chicken breast with five-peppercorn sauce; duchesse potatoes; grilled rosemary asparagus rings; and double fudge chocolate cake and passion berry mousse for dessert.
Owasso High School National Honor Society members are volunteering as servers; National Steak and Poultry, local grocery stores and restaurants are donating the food; and Starbucks is providing coffee, teas and espressos.
Other Owasso retailers provided supplies and printing for the invitations, and auction items have also been donated.
Fundraiser
What: Owasso's Best Gala 2007
When: Reception and silent auction begin at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and live auction at 8 p.m. March 31.
Where: Bailey Education Foundation banquet room in Bailey Medical Center, 11010 E. 106th St. North in Owasso.
Cost: Tickets are $125 per person, $200 for a couple and corporate tables begin at $1,000.
For more: Call 272-4969 or go to www.owassohelps.com.
By Sara Plummer World Staff Writer<
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