600 Attend ‘Taste of Central’ at St. Alphonsus

An estimated 600 people packed the Family Center at St. Alphonsus for the Annual Taste of Central celebration.  The crowd came together to enjoy food prepared by Central’s top restaurants, bid in the live and silent auctions, and buy a chance for a $10,000 prize.

The event raised more than $140,000 to support the work of St. Alphonsus church and school, which will split the proceeds evenly.  The funds are used for capital improvements, rather than operating expenses.

Father Mike Moroney said he was very pleased by the turnout from the St. Alphonsus congregation and the Central community.

St. Alphonsus executive director JoAnn Stein praised the 25 key volunteers who started working nearly a year ago to make the event a success.  “We have a great team that does a wonderful job!” she said.

The team and other volunteers sold 325 tickets to the $10,000 raffle, organized local restaurant owners who donated 100 percent of their food, supplies, and time, and solicited hundreds of auction items, many of which were handmade by St. Alphonsus parishioners.

The event will be followed by the Festival of Two Rivers, a weekend of fun on May 1-3.  Once again, it will be a family event with food, rides, and entertainment.