Rotary Club of Corvallis Hosts its Signature Tapas and Treasures Fundraising Event: Rotary Partners with OCWCOG to Benefit Meals on Wheels Program

The Rotary Club of Corvallis, in partnership with the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments (OCWCOG), is hosting its annual signature fundraising and social event, Tapas and Treasures, on August 31st from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Garlands Nursey in Corvallis. This event requires the prior purchase of a ticket for admittance; at this time, tickets are sold out. Any member of the media that would like to attend must contact OCWCOG at the above number before their arrival.

The Rotary Club has chosen the Meals on Wheels (MOW) program of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln as the recipient of the proceeds from this event. The MOW program provides nearly 200,000 nutritious meals to more than 2,000 aging adults and adults with disabilities across our Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties annually. Quality nutrition is the foundation upon which seniors can continue staying physically active and mentally acute, and that’s important to everyone. MOW is also more than a meal. It’s health, safety, and socialization for many of our community’s most vulnerable. Click HERE for more information on the MOW program.

“Certainly, one of the reasons that I am on board with Meals and Wheels being the beneficiary of the Tapas and Treasures event was the direct benefit that the Meals and Wheels program provides to the individual receiving the meal, as well as the societal benefit of a daily wellness check for the homebound,” said James DiNardo, President of the Rotary. “I am so honored how Rotary club members, and members of our communities, have stepped up and stepped into helping, and I hope that we can join with all the other service groups around the Region on this and other critical community needs.”

The partnership between the Rotary Club and OCWCOG has been very successful. This is the first year of the partnership and tickets for Tapas and Treasures has sold out. More than 150 will be in attendance, making this one of the largest fundraisers for the Club and program.

“This is the first year that the Club has partnered with another organization for this event,” said Dr. Lee Strandberg, Past President of the Club. “TheOCWCOG’s program – which is critical for the seniors and those with disabilities across our communities.”Meals on Wheels help in growing the ticket sales, and making the program successful has been important. The Club is excited about supporting the Meals on Wheels program – which is critical for the seniors and those with disabilities across our communities.”

“It is an honor to partner with the Rotary Clubon.”CelebrateLBL this event,” said Fred Abousleman, Executive Director of OCWCOG. “The partnership shows a commitment to our Region’s most vulnerable citizens, as well as working with OCWCOG going forward. We look forward to a successful event and to use this as a model to work with other service Clubs and partners and as a precursor for CelebrateLBL.”

This Tapas and Treasures event leads into CelebrateLBL, the signature awards event for the Region on November 2nd at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center at Oregon State University. Celebrate LBL brings together citizens, elected officials, partners, and community leaders from Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties for a gala awards evening and fundraiser for the Meals on Wheels program. Six major awards will be given out (Citizen of the Region, Project of the Year, Community Volunteer of the Year and Meals on Wheels Volunteer of the Year, Community or Business Partner of the Year, and a special Chair’s Award), after a Silent Auction and during the dinner portion of the event. Registration for CelebrateLBL is open and sponsorships are available. More information is on the event website, www.CelebrateLBL.org.

Rotary Club and OCWCOG thank our generous sponsors, including Benton County; Dial-a-Bus Benton County; Duerksen Rentals; Garlands Nursey; Ms. Monica Baez; Samaritan Health Services; and Special Occasions.

For more information about Tapas and Treasures, please visit www.TapasAndTreasures.org.