Culinary Walk-About – Meals on Wheels

For years they took care of us – wiping noses, preparing meals, and kissing our boo-boos.  Now they are older and need some care, and it is time for us to return the favor.

Hundreds of Treasure Valley senior citizens are homebound and unable to prepare their own meals.  Luckily, Meals on Wheels can bring them two things necessary for their health – nutritious food and daily contact and companionship.  The Meals on Wheels volunteer may often be the sole personal contact a senior could have that day, and studies show that maintaining connection with others is crucial for everyone’s health.  Even more necessary in these tough times, no eligible senior is turned away for an inability to pay or contribute to the cost of the meals.

Come sample the wares of 24 area chefs and support Meals on Wheels at the Culinary Walk-About on Thursday, April 9.  From 6-9 pm, the Center on the Grove will be filled with all sorts of delights, including the chance to win a diamond and groove to the tunes of Boise Straight Ahead Jazz Band.

Tickets are $50 each and they sell out fast.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call 327-7460.

Land Trust of the Treasure Valley – Wild and Scenic Film Festival

The natural environment is an integral part of the quality of life we enjoy in the Treasure Valley.  Most of us rely on that in some way every day, whether by taking a moment’s pleasure in the beauty of our surroundings or by heading to the great outdoors for our own form of a mental bailout plan.

The Land Trust of the Treasure Valley helps ensure that those open spaces will be here for us and for future generations.  The Land Trust identifies lands with natural, scenic, recreational and agricultural values, and works with willing landowners to conserve those lands through acquisition, easement, education, and good stewardship.

On Saturday, April 4th, the Land Trust will host Patagonia’s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Tour at the Center on the Grove to help raise awareness for both local and global environmental issues.

Along with two hours of compelling films, the event will feature informative displays including the top photos and video produced by Idaho children through the statewide “Be Outside” campaign.

Doors open at 1:30pm for the 2pm matinee showing and at 6:30pm for the 7pm showing.  .

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.lttv.org, by calling 345-1452 or at the door. A limited number of complimentary student tickets are available by calling in advance.

Boise Art Museum – Beaux Arts Societe Wine Festival

“Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living.”
Robert Mondavi “Harvests of Joy"

Every year the Boise Art Museum uncorks a vat of good cheer and fine experiences with its annual Beaux Arts Société Wine Festival.  The largest wine festival in the area, this weeklong celebration of wine, food, and art, now in its 22nd year, will be held Sunday, March 29 – Saturday, April 4. 

The first pour of the week’s offerings is a series of Vintner Dinners in which local restaurants are paired with vintners to offer a fine blend of culinary and wine taste sensations.

On Sunday, March 29th , Chandler’s Steakhouse will host a dinner with wines selected by Rex Chandler. 

A dinner at the Museum follows on Monday night.  Guests will be able to tour the art in the Ansel Adams, Garth Claassen, and Higher Ground exhibitions, while enjoying dinner catered by Brick 29 Bistro and the wines of the J. Lohr Winery.

On Wednesday, John Berryhill will create a culinary experience at Berryhill & Co. featuring wines from the Michael David Winery.

Tickets for each of these Vintner Dinners is $100/person.  All dinners start at 6:30pm.

On Thursday, a special dinner will be held at the home of George and Bev Harad.  The dinner, which will feature Northwest white wines, will be catered by Andrea Maricich, former owner/chef of Milky Way Restaurant.  Tickets for this unique and intimate evening are $200/person.

The community will pour into the Centre on the Grove on Friday for the annual wine tasting and silent auction.  With over 250 wines to sample plus appetizers, this event delivers a punch of flavor to the week.  Tickets are $50 and are available at www.idahotickets.com

The week ends with a fabulous big finish on Saturday, April 4th, with the Wine Festival Gala.  Held at the Crystal Ballroom, attendees will enjoy dinner, live music, and premium wines.  Tickets are $125/person.

Tickets for all events may be purchased by calling 345-8330  ext. 10.

Friends in Action – The Prom

When was the last time you went to a dance?  A good, kick-your-heels-up just enjoy yourself dance?  Think back… could it have been… Prom?  Well, it’s time to revisit that classic dance event concept but this time without the awkwardness of youth. 

Friends in Action is hosting their annual fundraising event, “The Prom”, on Saturday, April 4th.  They will be tearing up the dance floor of the Knitting Factory to the fabulous sounds of the High Street band.  With music ranging from Big Band to Rock, it will bring out even the most reticent of dancers.

The event starts at 8pm and features silent auction surprises and a no-host bar.  Black tie attire is invited, but not required.

Tickets are $50 or $375 for a reserved table of 6.  Tickets can be purchased at www.fiaboise.org or by calling 333-1363. 

All proceeds benefit Friends in Action, a collaborative organization dedicated to helping older persons and their families through education and volunteerism.  They offer services such as companionship, caregiver relief, shopping assistance, transportation, yard work, errands and simple home maintenance to the elderly.

Alley Repertory Theater – Facebook® Fundraiser

We are increasingly being drawn into a world of virtual interactions.  Whether it be via Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, we are conducting much of our communication with the world through online social networking sites.

On Friday, March 13th, Alley Repertory Theater (ART) is making that virtual world become real.  Within the walls of Visual Arts Collective (VaC), online social networking will come alive for one night.  It will be an evening of ART imitating virtual life which, in turn, is imitating real life. 

The event will be a tongue-in-cheek playful evening with a nod to some of the odd elements of online community interactions.  Attendees will be able to write on boards for public viewing, send each other hugs, flowers or a custom-created song, and peruse the party wearing large status update notifications. 

An announcer will be informing the participants of the various goings-on, from the scintillating to the most mundane.  VAPs (Very Annoying People) will be wandering the room asking random people to be their friends, poking them, and periodically asking them to take quizzes. 

Additional entertainment will include comedy performances by special guests Nick Garcia, Chris Borders, Dustin Scott and Hollis Welsh.  Music by Art Hodge, Grammy award winning music producer, film composer, DJ, and musician, will round out the night.

Doors open at 7pm.  Tickets for the event are $10 with Facebook-style requests starting at $1.  All proceeds will benefit Alley Repertory Theater, a professional, community-driven theater in Boise and the resident theater company of VaC. 

The event helps preface ART’s upcoming run of “Love Person,” a co-production with East Indian Follies Theater Company, opening on March 20th at VaC.  Written by Aditi Brennan Kapil, “Love Person” has been nominated for the Blackburn Prize, the Steinberg Award and the Pulitzer Prize.  It is being directed by ART Co-Artistic Director, Buffie Main.

“Love Person” brings two couples and three cultures together, using English, Sanskrit, American Sign Language (ASL) and projected e-mail to explore how love transcends sexual orientation, physical attraction and social structure, and rests instead on the ways in which people communicate.

For more status updates about the fundraising event and ART performances, become a fan of Alley Repertory Theater on Facebook or visit http://alleyrep.org.

Young Life – Annual Banquet

Remember for just a second that you are back in your teen years.  What is one of the stronger emotions you recall?  Confusion?  Being lost?  Wishing you had a strong guide?

Young Life is a faith-based organization that can provide an anchor and a compass to teens who, despite their bond with parents and family, might still feel like they need direction.  Teens meet up after school to talk about what is going on in supportive, welcoming environments that let them know they are not crazy.  Parents are not shoved aside, but, rather, they are given tools to help communicate with their teens and make sure they are raised in a loving environment.

You can learn more about Young Life and support their cause by joining them at their annual banquet comprised of sumptuous desserts on Saturday, March 14 starting at 7 pm at the Stueckle Skybox at Boise State University.  The event is free, but you need to reserve your attendance by calling 323-7988.  Be prepared to laugh, have fun, be informed and be inspired.

Dress for Success – Teapot Luncheon

Imagine this– you are a woman who has just escaped an abusive situation and you need to support yourself and your children. The only problem is that the only clothes you have are the clothes on your back. 

Dress for Success (DFS) is here to help women who are trying to create that better life.  DFS treats them like royalty and provides them with an interview outfit.  Once the women have the job, they can come back and pick another work-appropriate outfit.  In addition, there are support groups to talk over work-related situations.

In 2008, DFS helped 401 women gain the confidence they needed to start on that better life.  In addition, their clients can also peruse the Kids Kloset to find new outfits for their children.  400 kids were helped just in this past year.

By attending this year’s Teapot Luncheon on Friday, March 6 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., you can help these families chart a better path.  This is an amazingly fun event, with its auction items featuring a number of local celebrities including, admittedly, the significant other of one the Divas.  The local celebrities also include First Lady Lori Otter, Vin Gene Bleymeier, Vincent Kituku, and Irene Deely, among others.

Tickets for the luncheon are $40 and can be purchased by calling the organization at 853-4024.

Spaghetti Feeds – SNIP and Soroptimist International of Garden City

Few things bring people together like a great pasta dinner.  Over bowls of steaming spaghetti, conversation and laughter float around the table reminding us of the people and things we hold dear.   
On Saturday, February 28th, Big City Coffee in the Linen District will be transformed into an Italian family dinner party for the “Spay”Ghetti No Balls Fundraiser to support Spay Neuter Idaho Pets, Inc. or “SNIP” .  The spaghetti dinner and live auction will raise money and awareness for low cost spaying and neutering to celebrate National Spay Day.

The event is from 7-10pm and includes a no-host wine and beer bar and a live auction.  All proceeds will go towards creating Idaho’s first high volume low cost spay and neuter clinic for dogs and cats of low income owners and caregivers. 

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at Big City Coffee or online at www.snipidaho.org/events.html

Another option to enjoy a warm pasta dinner while supporting the local community is to attend the Soroptimist International of Garden City’s spaghetti feed, also being held on Saturday, February 28th. 

Held at the VFW Hall in Garden City, the event starts at 6pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 866-8402.  There will be a no-host bar, and homemade desserts can be purchased for $2. 

Proceeds benefit the Garden City chapter’s projects which help make a difference for women and children through service projects.  In addition, award winners for the Women’s Opportunity Award, the Violet Richardson Award and the Making a Difference for Women Award will be recognized at the dinner. 

More information on the Soroptimist Club of Garden City is available at www.gardencitysoroptimist.org.

Idaho Dance Theatre – Dancing Through the Decades

They move effortlessly across the dance floor.  Combining grace with absolute precision, they make the most complex moves seem simple. 

While this is true of all Idaho Dance Theatre performances, IDT dancers will soon be kicking up their heels to a different style: ballroom dance.  Joining them on the dance floor to make their task a bit more… challenging… will be some local “celebrities” such as Gretchen Anderson, Ken Bass, Natalie Hurst, and Stitch Marker.

This local “Dancing with the Stars”-style competition will be just one highlight of Idaho Dance Theatre’s upcoming “Dancing Through the Decades” gala on Saturday, March 14th.  

As with their dance productions, the evening is sure to be filled with style and innovation.  The Powerhouse will be turned into a 1920s-style Speakeasy, and attendees are encouraged, but not required, to dress in the style of their favorite era. 

The evening will be complemented by a silent and live auction, as well as a buffet dinner and no-host bar.  Dancing to the live music of High Street will finish the evening’s festivities.

Help IDT celebrate 20 years of bringing contemporary dance to Boise.  Tickets are $75 and are available at 331-9592.  More information on IDT is available at www.idahodancetheatre.org.

DrugFree Idaho – Starfish Ball

In an old story, a young boy was found tossing starfish from the dry beach back into the water.  An older man asked him if he really thought he was making a difference.  The boy turned to the man and said “it makes a difference to this one” and threw another starfish back into the sea.

For over ten years, DrugFree Idaho has been making a difference, one family at a time.  Through its youth and parent education programs, teens are learning the dangers of drug use.  Parents can also learn to recognize some of the indicators that their kids may be using, and how they can get their child help.

Through its DrugFree Workplace program, more businesses are becoming safer places to work and more families are receiving compassionate assistance in getting a loved one off of drugs.  With nearly 1 in 4 workers in Idaho having a substance abuse, DrugFree Idaho works with companies across a spectrum of industries to decrease abuse and increase morale.

You can support DrugFree Idaho’s efforts to make a difference at the Starfish Ball on Saturday, March 7 at the Courtyard Marriott in Meridian from 6 pm to midnight.  There will be great jazz music to dance to, and it is black tie optional.  Tickets are $75 per person or $125 per couple.  For tickets or more information, call 373-5455.