ST. GEORGE — The second annual St. George International Packaged Snack Tasting Event will be held Wednesday evening at the Courtyard by Marriott. The event will be emceed by local radio personalities Kate Dalley and Bryan Hyde and doors will open at 7 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Family Support Center.
The St. George International Packaged Snack Tasting Event was founded in 2013 by attorney Brian Shelley from 1LAW and businessman Steve Burgess from Arkon Financial as a way to give back to the community. The snacks give attendees an opportunity to taste other cultures without the expense of an airline ticket.
“It’s like a wine and cheese tasting,” Burgess said, “but without the wine … or the cheese.”
This event is about things we have in common and things we don’t have in common. Food is one of the things that draw us together as communities and as cultures; food involves our senses of taste, smell, touch, vision and in the case of an extra crisp potato chip, out sense of hearing.
The event is billed as ‘black tie gauche’ but, “you will be enthusiastically admitted wearing shorts and flip flops,” Shelley said.
It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s interesting to contemplate that almost everyone you see today knows exactly what a Hershey’s bar tastes like; they understand the texture of it. They understand that Gobstoppers stain your tongue purple and Cheetos leave your fingers orange.
The St. George International Packaged Snack Tasting Event turns that commonality on its head, and lets participants realize the amazing variety of snack alternatives that other cultures take for granted. It is a brief opportunity to be a part of someone else’s common experience.
“We’re looking to make this event as big as the Huntsman Senior Games or the Lion’s Rodeo… It pretty much already is… we have a Facebook page and everything,” Burgess said jokingly.
Because of a successful first-year event in 2013, the initial 200 tickets have sold out. As a response to the masses, an additional 25 tickets were printed and at the time of publication 20 tickets remain, which can be purchased by contacting Shelley or Burgess. Contact information is listed below.
Family Support Center
Because of the generous support of the event’s sponsors, the Family Support Center receives 100 percent of the $50 individual or $80 per couple ticket price which turns an interest in junk food into a tax deductible contribution.
The Family Support Center offers a crisis nursery, respite care and visitation exchange to the community at no charge, so it relies on grants and donations to provide this valuable community service. It is heartbreaking when the cycle of domestic abuse interrupts a young person’s childhood, and leaves them with physical and emotional scars that take a lifetime to overcome. Sometimes just the hectic pressure of day-to-day life becomes a triggering factor in these situations, and lives are deeply affected simply because someone had nowhere to turn.
At Family Support Center parents and caregivers will find a supportive and professional atmosphere where children can be taken care of for a few hours while they attend classes, job interviews, medical appointments, or simply get a few important errands handled. It is a needed community service, and this year the St. George International Packaged Snack Tasting Event is proud to assist in raising the funds necessary for them to continue their efforts.
Event details and contact information
- What: 2nd annual St. George International Packaged Snack Tasting Event
- Where: Courtyard by Marriott, 185 S. 1470 E., St. George
- When: Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.
- Contact: Brian Shelley | [email protected] | Steve Burgess | [email protected]
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