On Saturday, March 4, 2017 the annual Spring Fling dinner and auction was held in Unity Place at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. The evening was filled with incredible food, fellowship and generosity!

Students from Puget Sound Skills Center expertly prepared and passed scrumptious hors d’oeuvres; Beecher’s cheese and bacon choux puffs, smoked salmon coronets, rye crostini with pickled candy striped beets and seared ahi tuna with puffed wonton and sesame gelee.

All before we feasted on pan seared sea bass with Dungeness crab gratin and braised short ribs with peppercorn demi and Buddha’s hand gremolata. As usual dinner was enjoyed by all!  The culinary team from Puget Sound Skills Center was led by Executive Chef Kevin Blaylock and assisted by Dean Tweeddale and Erin Larson the service staff by Tony Poplin.

Guests enjoyed appetizers, beverages and each other’s company as they perused the silent auction. Winner’s Choice Raffle tickets were sold and one lucky winner had their choice of any live auction item. The winner won a ten-night trip for six people to Maui!

 

We were entertained throughout the evening by harpist Margaret Betts. Margaret has performed extensively with orchestral, choral, and chamber ensembles, and has served as principal harpist of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. Margaret received a prestigious Watson Fellowship, which allowed her to study the harp and perform in 14 countries around the world for one year.
The highlight of the evening was our guest speaker and former client Regina, who explained her journey from addiction to homelessness to recovery and back to a stable home with the help of Hospitality House. Stories like Regina’s remind us how we can have a positive impact on lives by giving of our time and treasure.

Thank you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish for hosting another Spring Fling. And thank you to everyone who attended, you were part of raising $40,000! 

If you missed out this year, mark your calendar for next year’s Spring Fling; Saturday, March 3, 2018.