ANGEL BENEFIT NETS $100,000
Fundraiser aids Community Hospice of Saratoga and Washington Counties
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Hundreds of angels descended on the National Museum of Dance for a fundraiser that netted more than $100,000 for Community Hospice of Saratoga and Washington Counties.
The event, called Touched by An Angel, featured specialty food stations from nearly two dozen area restaurants, plus a wide selection of craft beverage and wine products, and live music by Mike Perkins and Tony Liquori.
“This is the largest fundraiser of the year for Community Hospice,” spokesperson Gina Peca said. “All the money raised supports programs and services, which go beyond end-oflife care for patients. We provide lots of services to families such as counseling.
“We also have bereavement specialists, massage therapists and music therapists. We really try to reach the whole family in whatever need they might have.”
More than 400 people attended the event, with food stations located throughout the expansive Dance Museum, giving people a chance to admire its many permanent exhibits.
Several restaurants and food vendors took part for the first time such as The Adelphi, McGregor Links Country Club, Augie’s and Morton’s The Steakhouse.
“Many others have done it for years,” Peca said. “It’s really a community event. This is a beautiful venue, and it’s wonderful to see
"It’s really a community event. This is a beautiful venue, and it’s wonderful to see all the people here." — spokesperson Gina Peca
all the people here. We have music tonight, but it’s just in one wing.
“We’d like to make the event more cohesive.”
Next year, plans call for moving Touched by An Angel to Canfield Casino in Congress Park, where activities would be centralized in one or two large rooms.
“We would like to do a short program for people who attend, so they can hear from a family member who’s been touched by hospice and make it a little more personal,” Peca said.
Touched by An Angel was begun in 1988 by Panza’s Restaurant owner Tony Panza who coordinated the event’s food preparations. This year, he turned such duties over to veteran BOCES culinary instructor Paul Cerone, of Saratoga Springs.
Cerone said the participation of numerous restaurants shows the local food industry’s willingness to give back to the community.
“There’s over 20 area restaurants that have food stations here,” he said. “They bring specialties, donate their own time and send staff members to man the different stations.”
Attendees sampled pasta, salads, shrimp and barbecue beef dishes plus a variety of desserts including ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. All beer, wine and water was donated, and Dehn’s Florist provided floral arrangements.
“Here in the kitchen, we also have food that’s been donated, raw ingredients that we’re now preparing,” Cerone said. “For example we’re making deviled eggs with eggs donated by Thomas Poultry in Northumberland. Pennell’s Restaurant gave buckets of shrimp that we used to make shrimp cocktails.
“We also got a large donation of fresh fruit that we used to make fruit kabobs. The list goes on and on.”
Several BOCES culinary students helped with such work.
“It’s a fantastic experience for them to help out at an exciting event like this, network and meet restaurant owners and see the professionalism that goes on within the community,” Cerone said. “It’s a great opportunity for them.”
During the event, people could vote for their favorite creatively carved pumpkin and purchase one, with sales benefiting Community Hospice, the area’s only hospice organization.
There was also a raffle with prizes including a two-night stay at Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, and tickets to future fundraising events that benefit other non-profits such as Saratoga Bridges (the White Party) Project Lift and Franklin Community Center.