CIS hosts Taste of Caldwell 2023
May 22—LENOIR — Communities In Schools of Caldwell County celebrated 34 years of serving students and families in the county with its largest fundraising event of the year on Saturday, May 20.
Nearly 300 people attended the Taste of Caldwell: Young Minds Bloom Celebration at Cedar Rock Country Club on Saturday.
This delightful evening featured culinary samples from more than 20 local restaurants, caterers, and coffee shops. There was also a silent auction held for a variety of items with a retail value of more than $17,000.
Live music was provided by the Heavy Mountain String Band.
After patrons were able to sample all the culinary dishes presented for the evening, they were each given a golden token and asked to vote for the best tasting by placing the token in the corresponding jar. Executive Chef Thomas Hooks and the CCC&TI Culinary Department were selected as winners of the 2023 Taste of Caldwell: Young Minds Bloom Celebration Overall People's Choice Award for Best Tasting.
Proceeds raised by this event sponsor innovative programs that not only help students stay in school, but also help them prepare for life. Communities In Schools of Caldwell County continues to play a critical role by working hand-in-hand with Caldwell County Schools to improve the graduation rate and prepare students to become productive adult citizens.
"These funds and grants are used to provide experiences for our students beyond what they get in their normal daily interactions at school," said CIS Director Keith Hindman. "We're adamant about making sure our students learn how to be givers, not takers, and that they understand what it means to be a community member. Most importantly, whenever they graduate from high school, we ensure that they have a plan."
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The community provided a huge amount of support with over 50 people investing time to help CIS with the organization and overall setting up for the event. All 31 of CIS Board of Directors played a vital role in the event's success.
Hindman particularly thanked Becky Gibbons, event chairperson and wife of Lenoir Mayor Joe Gibbons, and Mary Ruth Horn for their leadership.
"We're also thankful for everyone in the community who purchased a ticket for this event," Hindman said. "Our business sponsors were critical in providing the amount of funding required for us to meet our mission, which is to ensure our students are connected to resources within the community itself. I'd also like to thank all of our mentors and site coordinators who spend time each week in the classrooms, providing guidance and structure for our students."
The following restaurants/caterers/coffee lodges were represented at the Taste of Caldwell event on Saturday: 1841 Cafe, Aary's Ice Cream, BD's BBQ, Blanca's Cakes and Honduran Restaurant, Blue Moose, CCC&TI Culinary Department, Colson Park Catering, Dairi-O, Fatz of Morganton, Italy Grill, JD's, Katz Sandwich Company and Catering, Mi Molcajete, Southern Comforts Catering, Taste of Havana, The Betterwurst Sausage Company, The Shake-N-Dog, and Top Dawgs.
Hindman said that CIS plans to host Taste of Caldwell 2024 on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir with live music by the Shelby Ray Moore Band.
For more information about the wonderful impact of CIS on students' lives, visit www.communitiesinschools.org.
