Sunrise Rotary Foundation Selects Children’s Home of Jefferson County’s SoZo Teen Center for $5,000 Grant
WATERTOWN — The 21st Annual Taste of the Town, presented by Watertown Sunrise Rotary and United Food Service Operators, returns tomorrow, Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jefferson Community College McVean Center Gymnasium.
Nearly two-dozen local food and beverage establishments will be on hand for patrons to enjoy a sample of their best dishes as they compete for bragging rights and awards in several categories including the coveted “People’s Choice” award.
Admission at the door is free this year, thanks to a generous sponsorship by Davidson Auto Group. Tasting tickets are $1 each or $10 for 12 and $20 for 25. Saturday’s event is made possible, in part, through generous corporate support from a host of local businesses and organizations.
“We are excited to present a family friendly event for the community to enjoy while helping many great local eateries share a taste of their best,” said Patrick Signor, Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club president-elect and Taste of the Town event chair.
At 1:35 p.m., the Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation will present a $5,000 Taste of the Town grant to the Children Home of Jefferson County’s SoZo Teen Center to support a new MakerSpace at the Center. The Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation is a Northern New York Community Foundation charitable affiliate.
A committee of Sunrise Rotary Club members selected SoZo Teen Center for the competitive Taste of the Town grant from nearly a dozen applicants. This is the seventh year that a North Country nonprofit will be awarded a Taste of the Town grant.
“‘Service Above Self’ is a guiding value of Watertown Sunrise Rotary, and by supporting a local
nonprofit a one-time grant, we are building lasting partnerships in the community,” Sunrise Rotary Club President Laura Nicol said. “We appreciate the many generous sponsors who have made this weekend’s event possible and helped our Club support a worthy nonprofit that helps many people in our communities.”
The following restaurants and food and beverage vendors are among those scheduled to participate in Saturday’s Taste of the Town: National vendors: LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden Italian Kitchen, and The Grille at Hilton Garden Inn; Local vendors: Cam’s Pizzeria, Empire Square, Filipino Restaurant and Catering, Great Lakes Cheese, Stewart’s Shops, Taste NY — North Country Welcome Center, The Cottage Bakery, Wise Guys Ristorante, and Wish Thai Kitchen; Beverage vendors: Bella Brooke Vineyard, Blue Mountain Spring Water, Busted Grapes Wine, Dark Island Spirits, Lake and River Roasters, and St. Lawrence Spirits.
In addition to the “People’s Choice Award,” food and beverage vendors will also compete for “Best Local,” “Best National,” “Best Beverage,” “Best Dessert,” and “Best Presentation.” Veteran WWNY-TV7 Sports Anchor Mel Busler and longtime Taste of the Town past organizer Irene Carman will join Sunrise Rotary Club President Laura Nicol as judges this year.
Additional Taste of the Town event sponsors include Ames Brothers Collision, Carthage Savings & Loan, Johnson Lumber, Knowlton Technologies, Northern Glass, Northern New York Community Foundation, RBC Wealth Management—Watertown, Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown Savings Bank, and Watertown Urgent Care. Media sponsors include Newzjunky, Tunes 92.5/104.5 FM, and WWNY-TV7 / Fox 28.
About Sunrise Rotary and Taste of the Town
Taste of the Town is a Watertown Sunrise Rotary annual event that offers the public an opportunity to “taste” a variety of food and beverage items from dozens of local restaurants, caterers, wineries, and other food and beverage businesses. Each year, more than 1,000 people participate in the event to sample cuisine from locally owned and nationally franchised food establishments. The event is also a fundraiser that helps to support North Country nonprofits.
Proceeds from this family-fun event provide funding for Watertown Sunrise Rotary and a North Country nonprofit organization that, through a competitive grant application, is awarded a Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant.
Watertown Sunrise Rotary’s main objective is service to the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. Local projects funded and serviced by the club include playgrounds, park beautification, a summer camp for developmentally challenged children, holiday parties for underprivileged children, support of local scholarships, and various nonprofit and community donations.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.
