Fun, food and philanthropy

Meleisa Shaffer / Special to the Daily Pilot

Seared ahi poke stack. A 1997 pinot noir reserve. Shrimp cocktail. Egg

rolls. Truffles. Rigatoni bologenese. Chocolate porter. Smoked salmon.

California pale ale.

Hungry?

Thousands of Orange County residents go hungry each month. But at the

16th annual Food, Wine and Micro-Brew Fest, benefiting the Second Harvest

Food Bank of Orange County, you can help feed others by treating yourself

to these and other delicacies.

Approximately 1,500 people are expected to attend the festival from

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Macy’s Home Store/Crate & Barrel wing

of South Coast Plaza.

“It’s a fun way for members of the community to support the cause and

have fun while showing off the best of Orange County’s restaurants,

wineries and microbreweries,” said Marcella Barba, Second Harvest Food

Bank’s development director.

The event will highlight samples from more than 50 area restaurants

and specialty food companies, wineries and microbreweries. The event also

will include live salsa dancing and music.

There will be opportunity drawings for prizes such as a Surf

Prescriptions surfboard, a performance snowboard, a luxury suite at

Edison Field, a wine dinner for 12 at Sundried Tomato Cafe and food, wine

and microbrew packages. There are more than 75 prize donors, including

Bluewater Grill, Seafood & Oyster Bar, Callaway Vineyard & Winery and the

Newport Brewing Company.

Hoag Hospital, Macy’s, Orange County Printing Co., the Orange County

Register, South Coast Plaza and O.C. Metro Magazine are some of the

event’s sponsors, helping to stage the event this year.

“We partner with the Food Bank on a daily basis through the Food

Rescue program,” said Mark Jacobi, chef and co-owner of the Sundried

Tomato Cafe in Orange, which is donating a prize for the event’s drawing.

“But we participate in the Food Fest because it is rewarding to come and

see the community unite for such a worthy cause -- fighting hunger. [The

Food Bank] utilizes a lot of our products that we can’t use to help

others.”

The food bank began in 1983 under the auspices of the Council of

Orange, Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Among its services, it promotes

awareness of hunger in Orange County, involves community volunteers, and

solicits, collects and distributes food and other commodities to nearly

350 area nonprofit agencies that feed the needy. Food is collected from

grocers, restaurants, farmers and other sources.

According to Daniel Harney, president and founder of the food bank,

based on 1990 census information there are 400,000 people in Orange

County at risk of going hungry -- at least one day a month due to the

high cost of housing in the area.

He and other organizers believe that number will be between 450,000

and 500,000 in the 2000 census statistics.

Last year’s event attracted 1,300 people and collected approximately

$60,000 for the charity. The organization coordinates the government’s

Emergency Food Assistance Program for Orange County as well as other

programs like Brown Bag, which provides two bags of groceries twice a

month to 3,000 seniors around the county. It also coordinates several

fund-raising events throughout the year.

Barba said proceeds from the event go to the food bank’s general fund

to help support operations such as delivery trucks and special programs

like Kids Cafe, which provides after-school snacks to needy children.

It also will help Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents in need.

“This enables us to purchase food [at a lower cost] or get food from

the Second Harvest Food Bank so we can get food to feed the working poor

in this area,” said Debby O’Connor, executive director of Friends and

Service to Humanity, a Costa Mesa/Newport Beach organization that

delivers food to needy area families.

Jean Wegener, executive director of Serving People In Need, also said

that the event would directly benefit her organization, based in Costa

Mesa, by helping it stretch its food budget and provide more for the

people it serves.

The entrance fee of $40 for pre-purchased tickets or $50 at the door

includes all samples and activities, excluding drawing tickets. Groups of

10 or more people can purchase tickets for $30 each. The raffle tickets

can be purchased 1 for $5, 5 for $20 or 30 for $100. Tickets for the

drawing can be purchased without attending the event by going online to

the event Web site, o7 www.foodfest.orgf7 or by calling (714)

771-1343.

“What makes this event unique is that 97 to 98 cents of every dollar

generated goes directly to Second Harvest,” said Anton Segerstrom,

partner in South Coast Plaza and a member of the Second Harvest Food

Bank’s board of directors. “It goes directly to a person in need.”

FYI

* WHAT: Second Harvest Food Bank’s Food, Wine and Micro-Brew Fest

* WHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday

* WHERE: Macy’s Home Store/Crate & Barrel Wing of South Coast Plaza

* COST: $40 if purchased before the event, $50 at the door, $30 each

for groups of 10 or more

* CONTACT: (714) 771-1343 or o7 www.foodfest.orgf7