16
October 2015
Neighbors
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Taste of SanTan to feature 16 restaurants BY MEGHAN MCCOY
Foodies will have the opportunity to sample food from more than a dozen restaurants at SanTan Village while supporting an East Valley organization this month. The Taste of SanTan will be held from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at SanTan Village, 2218 E. Williams Field Rd. Tickets for the 21-and-older event are $50, with $25 tax-deductible. “This event supports Save the Family’s general operating budget by generating over $50,000 in gross revenue annually,” said Tina Lopez, Save the Family Foundation of Arizona’s chief development officer. Lopez said the event can hold up to 800 attendees and has sold out in years past. She said eight years ago shopping center operator Macerich, formerly Westcor, approached Save the Family about being the beneficiary. The organization said yes. “Over the years this has become one of two of Save the Family’s signature fundraising events, which is hosted by SanTan Village and managed and facilitated by Save the Family,” Lopez said. The event will feature unlimited food tastings from 16 restaurants in the shopping center. Beer, wine and signature Santinis will be provided by Tito’s Vodka, as well as other refreshing nonalcoholic beverages. The restaurants include Barnes & Noble Café; Brio Tuscan Grille; Caketini; Cantina Laredo; Famous Dave’s; Fat Straw; Frost Gelato; Gordon Biersch; Grimaldi’s; Johnny Rockets; The Keg; Kona Grill; Paradise Bakery; Wok Box and World of Beer. “Guests will be served samplings from each restaurant that will range from fajitas, chopped pork sliders and Japanese yellowtail sashimi to brownies, cheesecakes and cannolis,” Lopez said.
Tickets are available for the many raffle prizes. Submitted photo
At 7 p.m. TreJa Vu Band will perform followed by Arizona’s Original Dance Crew Footklan. Cornhole and door prizes will also be available. A free photo booth is being provided by Cox Communications and free caricature drawings are included. There’s even more. “There will also be a super raffle that you do not need to be present to win, which includes prizes of $500 SanTan Village shopping spree, Apple iWatch, a year of date nights, events tickets galore featuring tickets to sporting events, concerts and local shows, and a wine tasting for 20 people from Total Wine & More,” Lopez said. Tickets can be purchased by calling
(480) 466-7714 for $20, four for $50, or 12 for $100. Save the Family was founded in 1988 in Mesa and has housing in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale and a domestic violence shelter in Phoenix, housing 14 single moms with children. The organization has a three-pronged approach to equip families with what they need while addressing poverty and overcoming homelessness. “Last year Save the Family assisted over 500 homeless, low-income and veteran families with housing, case management and extensive supportive services to get them on the path to self-sufficiency,” Lopez said. The organization’s supportive services include the Career Development Center that provides resources, skills, job training and mentoring, which assists their clients in getting back into the workforce. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Childcare and transportation is facilitated to help parents while they are searching for a job. “Our Career Development Center Program offers classes to help with the pre-employment process, such as resume writing, mock interviews, job leads, GED training and testing, dress for success and more,” Lopez said. “We also provide soft skills training, such as communication, listening skills and body language, which are all important factors in obtaining and keeping employment. Clients are trained on computers, given manuals and materials that relate to computer skills, taught typing skills, office equipment training and Microsoft training.” She said 80 percent of their adult clients are women and, of those, 45 percent are victims of domestic violence.
Revelers indulge in food and drink from more than a dozen area residents during Taste of SanTan. Submitted photos
The event supports Save the Family’s general operating budget by generating over $50,000 in gross revenue annually,” according to Tina Lopez. Submitted photos