Supporters of the Hibiscus Children’s Center offered up another molto bene evening of food and fun at their Wine and Dine Taste of Italy – The Journey Continues fundraiser last Saturday evening at the Bent Pine Golf Club. Barbara Petrillo and Rosemary Smith co-chaired a hardworking committee of volunteers who not only helped plan the delightful affair, but also volunteered at the event itself; among other things, expertly manning the four food and wine pairing stations.
An accordion player at the entry helped put the 250 guests in the mood for their tasty culinary tour of Italy, as did the décor of the dining rooms, transformed into an Italian trattoria complete with red-and-white-checked tablecloths and wine-bottle candles. The co-chairs, who have a shared Italian heritage, wanted the event to take on the aroma and atmosphere typical of their grandmothers’ kitchens, with great food, music, wines and conversation. And they succeeded.
Bent Pine’s Executive Chef Sarah Wills and her crew served up a mouthwatering repast with an antipasto station, entrees featuring ricotta impastata gnocchi, chicken pícatta, steamed clams and mussels and Tuscan braised short ribs with mushroom risotto. Dessert was a decadent tiramisu with assorted biscotti. The delectable dishes were each paired with a wonderful Italian wine, supplied by Robert Wayne from his Royal Palm Pointe shop, Varietals and More.
Guests also enjoyed playing a wine toss game, getting complementary caricatures done, bidding on a large selection of Italian and wine-themed silent auction items and later taking to the dancefloor, with DJ Joe Tessier playing just the right tunes to help them work off a few calories.
Proceeds from the event support the mission of Hibiscus Children’s Center and its efforts to improve the lives of abused, abandoned and neglected children and youths. The Hibiscus Village in Vero Beach provides long-term home environments for 13- to 17-year-olds, offering them a safe, nurturing environment and providing them with the life skills, education and career preparation training to help them be successful in life.
Paul Sexton, Hibiscus Children’s Center CEO, said he is seeing a reinvigorated energy in the organization and projects a robust future thanks to a strong commitment from the community.
To meet an ever-growing need, in addition to the Vero Village and Shelter in Jensen Beach, they have just opened a 24-hour emergency shelter in St. Lucie County, called the Sanctuary 4Kids.
“It’s directly related to the need we see in our community to expand our services,” said Sexton. “That’s what’s so exciting about these events. We’ve become healthy so we can expand more. The principal money we raise here goes to the Village, but because of their support it helps the entire mission.”
