What a successful and wonderful night!

The 11th annual Taste of Boca Grande, held on Monday, Feb. 4, at the Boca Bay Pass Club, raised $41,000 for the Harry Chapin Food Bank; this translates into $246,000 in food and supplies that can be distributed to those in need in Southwest Florida through the 160 participating agencies.

A record attendance participated this year. The Taste featured the Steve Chapin Band (Harry Chapin’s original band), with special guest Jennah Barry from Nova Scotia.

Sponsors of the popular event were BNT, Coral Creek Airport & Boca Grande Jet Center, Fugate’s, Phillips Landscape Contractors, Inc., Safety Harbor Builders, Wells Fargo Private Bank, Coral Creek Club, Italiano Insurance Services, Inc., Gulf To Bay Sotheby’s International Realty, Michael Saunders & Co., Boca Bay Pass Club, McHugh-Porter Builders, Inc., Parsley-Baldwin Realty, Gasparilla Pools, Thoroughbred Golf Carts, Grande Aire Services, Inc., Gasparilla Properties, Inc., Augustan Wine Imports, Premier Beverage Company, Stacole Fine Wine, US Tent, The BRC Group, LLC., Masciarelli Wine Company, Opici Wine Co. of Florida, Statewide Pest Control Services, Inc. Key Agency Insurance, Boca Beacon, Gasparilla Gazette, and Heidemarie Burke Photographic Images.

Restaurants providing food for the event were Boca Bay Pass Club, Boca Grande Club, Coral Creek Club, Eagle Grille & Miller’s Dockside, Farlow’s on the Water, The Gasparilla Inn & Club, The Grapevine, Libby’s Café & Bar, Loose Caboose Restaurant, Patrick’s Thai Bistro, PJ’s Seagrille, Temptation Restaurant, and The Waterside Grill at Gasparilla Marina.

Thor and Blanche Johnson, Helen and Nick Kaiser, Kathy Hawken, Terry Bisset, and Brian Corcoran were co-chairs of the event. Next year’s event will be held on Monday, Feb. 3.                                              

Photo by Liza