Wine, Whistles and a Little Bit of Jazz make for a successful Red Cross fundraiser
Guests waited patiently at the entrance for the doors to open at 6:30 and were entertained by music from The B5’s, a group made up of current and former New Philadelphia High School students.
Guests were free to explore the museum where food and wine selections were made available by a host of local vendors.
Yaggi Cheese House brought favorites like Swiss, smoked cheddar and Trail bologna. Dennison Yard featured Pasta Roma with Italian sausage and the Italian classic, gnocchi. The New Peter Shears Downtown wowed guests with smoked tomato and sherry lobster bisque with charred Ohio sweet corn salsa, candied lemon and dill sea salt dusted ciabatta crisps with roasted garlic white bean puree and heirloom tomato and opal basil salad grown straight from owner and chef Nathan Mushrush’s own garden. Susanna’s Premier Pastas served lasagna, cheese ravioli and garlic rolls. Cajun Pasta Penne, a menu favorite, was served by Pointe Dining. Fox’s Pizza Den participated in the event for the first time with baked to perfection cheese and pepperoni pizza.
For dessert, guests helped themselves to the impressive chocolate fountain with fresh strawberries, juicy pineapple, marshmallows, pretzels and toasted coconut from Trax Diner. The McDonald Marlite Center provided brownies. The Tuscarawas County Senior Center featured mini cheesecakes and dessert pizzas from Carbone’s Italian Restaurant were available. Steaming hot coffee in a variety of flavors was freshly brewed by The Daily Grind. Miller’s Creamery served a delicious party punch.
To complement all the delicious food was a fantastic array of wines produced locally by Swiss Heritage Wines, Al-Bi Winery, Breitenbach Wine Cellars and Raven’s Glen Winery. For the first time, Schoolhouse Winery and Great Lakes Brewing Company showcased their wines and micro-brewed beers.
“We’re happy to be here to support the Red Cross and we’re excited to tell everyone that we are harvesting our first grapes from the vineyard. Next summer we will debut five new wines developed from grapes that grow very well in Ohio,” said Breitenbach Wine Cellar’s Jennifer Kohler.
Beth Cardani, of New Philadelphia, said she had attended the event in previous years. “It’s a lot of fun. The food and wine are delicious and it supports such a good cause,” said Cardani.
The host sponsor for the event was Dunkin’s Diamonds. Many local businesses acted as sponsors including Crossroads Hospice. Kasey Ripple, from the Tuscarawas County team of Crossroads Hospice, said, “We are proud to be a sponsor this year for an organization that is so needed in our community.”
Chad Conrad, the local Red Cross director said, “We actually sold out of tickets and had to turn people away. This event continues to grow each year. Warther’s Museum is a great location for the event and they are very accommodating. We want to thank them and all the local businesses that make this one of our top fundraisers of the year. We really count on support from the community for funding. It’s a casual event where everyone has a great time and gets to enjoy delicious food and wine from some great local businesses.”
Entertainment for the event was provided by the jazz trio, Shomongus and the Vaughn Brothers and a harpist entertained guests in the Ivory Room.
The evening included a silent and live auction where guests had the opportunity to bid on a variety of items including a Family Fun Package from Kalahari Resorts, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game tickets and a dinner party for eight from Chef Cameron Krahel of the McDonald Marlite Center, Chef Nathan Mushrush of The New Peter Shears Downtown and the Reeve’s Museum.
All guests were given a commemorative wineglass to take home.
The Muskingum Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross serves residents in Tuscarawas, Harrison and Carroll counties. The chapter receives no government funding and relies solely on the support of the communities that they serve.