Featured photo: This New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Cruiser is one of several interesting silent auction items to be sold at the first-ever “TASTE” fundraiser held by the Louisiana Restaurant Association Northwest Chapter.
The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Northwest Chapter will host their first-ever “TASTE” fundraiser benefiting the LRA Education Foundation, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18 at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 2015 Old Minden Road in Bossier City. Admission to the event is $30 and includes food from nearly 20 Shreveport-Bossier restaurants including Cotton Boll Grill, Noble Savage Tavern, Ernest’s Orleans Restaurant, Monjunis, Notini’s Restaurant and Texas Roadhouse, among many others. Live music will be performed by Lennice Bolton and a cash bar featuring a fundraiser martini will be available ($1 from every martini will benefit the LRA Education Foundation). Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased here.
Not only is it kind of great to see the local LRA chapter building a higher profile in the community, it’s worth pointing out that the silent auction at this event will feature some incredible stuff. Attendees will be able to bid on items including a rare New Belgium Brewing bicycle (craft beer lovers adore these promotional bicycles, which are created in very limited quantities by Fort Collins, Co.-based New Belgium Brewing Company). Other silent auction items include a catered private party for 10 and a behind-the-scenes tour of Los Pinos Winery in Texas, complete with a stay in one of their vineyard cottages. That’s some pretty great stuff for food and drink lovers.
“It’s the first time that we’ve done something like this to raise funds,” said Jason McKinney, president of the LRA Northwest Chapter. “It will be a wonderful party, with fantastic food and entertainment, all for a great cause.”
Proceeds from this event will benefit the LRA Education Foundation, which administers the ProStart® program in five area high schools. ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and the restaurant industry to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders. ProStart schools in the Northwest Chapter are Caddo Career & Technology Center, Mansfield High School, North Caddo High School, Red River High School and Ringgold High School.
For more information, contact LRA Chapter Member Services Coordinator Angela Martin at amartin@lra.org or (318) 366-1326. Good luck winning that bicycle – it’s a beauty.
