NEW CITY ROTARY TO HOST WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL TO HELP ROCKLAND'S HUNGRY FAMILIES

-- The New City Rotary will host a Wine & Food Festival Saturday, September 20th from 4 - 7pm to help Rockland County Food Banks fight hunger. The event will take place at Rockland Country Day School, 34 Kings Highway in Congers, and feature live music and entertainment, great food from La Terrazza, Sazone, Hudson Fine Catering, At Your Service New York Catering, and Corner Bakery Cafe. There will also be wine from local merchants and a fun silent auction.

More than half of the money will go to help feed families in Rockland County. Currently, the largest of the food banks, People to People, feeds more than 1,000 families each month and the need has continued to grow despite the improving economy. Sponsorships are still available by going to www.newcityrotaryfestival.org where individuals can also sign up to attend as a guest for $30 or pay $35 at the door. “We are proud to be able to support the area food banks in this way and hope our contributions from the evening will assist those families most in need,” stated Kevin Hardy, Event Chairperson and president of KLS Transportation.

The Wine and Food Festival will include a jazz combo featuring the legendary jazz clarinetist Sol Yaged. Sol was strongly influenced by the style of Benny Goodman, and was chosen to coach Steve Allen who played Benny Goodman in the film “The Benny Goodman Story.” He has played with many of the greats of jazz such as Coleman Hawkins, Red Allen and Jack Teagarden for over 60 years in New York City. He played in top Manhattan jazz clubs such as Jimmy Ryan’s and the Swing Club. Two Rockland musicians will be among the performers: trumpet player Harvey Abrams and guitarist Jon Ross, music teacher at Bardonia Elementary School. The group will play from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

New City Rotary, one of the largest in Rockland, has approximately 60 members, all of whom work and/or live in Rockland County. Rotary is an international service organization with 1.2 million members in nearly 200 countries and was founded as an international service organization of business and professional people who, as volunteers, address needs of their home and international communities. Among the service projects New City Rotary conducts are an annual blood drive, food drives, highway cleanups, delivering food for meals on wheels, a coat drive and raising money to end polio.

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