VILLAGE NEWS LA JOLLA
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Taste
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011
Scott Appleby & Kerry ApplebyPayne A Family Tradition of Real Estate Success
858-775-2014
DRE#01197544 DRE#01071814
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 16, Number 32
Doobie Brothers to play in La Jolla
of the Triangle
A variety of dishes were served by Whole Foods at last year’s Taste of the Triangle Courtesy photo The Doobie Brothers wil perform at the La Jolla estate of Joan Waitt on June 20 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Courtesy photo
BY CLAIRE HARLIN | VILLAGE NEWS
Golden Triangle residents will be treated to tasty delicacies created by local restaurants at the 17th annual Taste of the Triangle on April 29. Courtesy photo
Participants from Stone Brewing Company share tastes of food and brews at last year’s Taste of the Triangle. Courtesy photo
Annual tasting event a community effort BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS For the past 17 years, Golden Triangle residents have been treated to a sophisticated night out when they are encouraged to eat and spend guilt-free while helping the community’s five public schools: Curie, Doyle and Spreckels elementary schools, Standley Middle School and University City High School (UCHS). Most Taste of the Triangle visitors spend the evening tasting delectable treats created by local restaurants and socializing while participating in live and silent auctions. What many don’t indulge in, however, is a glimpse behind the scenes. Taste of the Triangle comes together entirely through the efforts of a stable group of volunteers — about 80 of them — who work to make the event a successful fundraiser for University City schools. Brook Feerick, president of Educate!, the nonprofit group that stages the tasting fundraiser every year, has chaired the event for the past three years and has been volun-
teering her time in some capacity or other in the community for 15 years. Raising money for schools, she said, is by far one of the easiest sells for fundraising volunteers. “We have so many people in the community who are passionate for schools and who know how much donating can impact the community,” she said. “It’s a very transparent event. We can see all that money going right back to the schools, and we make an effort to show how it positively impacts the community in general as well.” This event, Feerick said, is also unique in that it doesn’t take much coercing to get people to take time from their busy schedules to lend a hand. “Some other volunteer organizations and events I’ve worked with have been difficult in terms of getting volunteers, but this is different story,” she said. “People are really invested in the community’s schools, and it shows.” Work on Taste of the Triangle starts about one year in advance, Feerick said. A venue has to be found and reserved, donations have
to be secured, commitments from restaurants have to be acquired, tickets have to be sold and an entire timeline has to be coordinated with area schools. A full-time nurse, Feerick said she donates on average about 10 to 12 hours per month to Educate! In the months and weeks leading up to Taste of the Triangle, some volunteers are giving 25 to 30 hours of their time per week to readying the event. The most challenging thing, Feerick said, is keeping the event fresh. “You have a tendency to want to do what you did last year because it worked,” she said. “But you want to keep people’s attention. You want to keep them excited and keep them donating.” Organizers hope to pull in $80,000 to $100,000 from the event. Last year, they netted $115,000 for the schools, including about $10,000 that came from the “fundan-item” auction, where the auctioneer asks for audience members to volunteer to donate SEE TASTE, Page 14
Susan Golding, CEO and president of Promises2Kids, has announced that three-time Grammy award-wining artists The Doobie Brothers will headline the organization’s annual outdoor Promises Summer Concert Gala, scheduled to take place June 20 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the La Jolla estate of Joan Waitt. Known for their "soul-infused boogie rock" songs hits like "China Grove" and "Black Water," The Doobie Brothers have sold more than 30 million albums in the United States since the 1970s. All proceeds from the event benefit Promises2Kids, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of child abuse through prevention, education and advocacy. Guests will be able to get up close and personal with The Doobie Brothers while enjoying breathtaking ocean views and an elegant sit-down dinner prepared by chefs from the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. Guests can bid on a number silent and live auction SEE DOOBIE, Page 14
An arty party Village News fashion writer Holly Lauren Beedle hosts San Diego’s first ‘Drink & Draw’
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