The Rotary Club of College Park will host the 5^th annual Taste of College Park - Food and Wine Festival, 6 p.m., Thursday, April 24, 2008 at Dubsdread Golf Club, 549 W. Par Street, Orlando.

The event showcases College Park's best neighborhood restaurants, including: Adriatico Trattoria Italiana, Blackwater Bar-B-Q, Harmonie Market, Infusion Tea, Jade Bistro, Juliana's Fine Tuscan Cuisine, K Restaurant and Wine Bar, Logan's Bistro, Nonna Trattoria ed Enoteca, Publix and The Tap Room at Dubsdread. The evening includes wine pairings provided again this year by ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Orlando, the PolioPlus Initiative and local schools. The goal is to raise more than $40,000 to help children and their families right here in College Park.

In previous years, the Rotary Club of College Park has raised more than $30,000 for the following beneficiaries:

Ronald McDonald House of Orlando - The idea behind the Ronald McDonald House program is simple: Provide a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. It serves as a temporary residence near the medical facility where family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations.

The PolioPlus Initiative of Rotary International - PolioPlus is a program to immunize all the world's children against Polio. To date, the program has contributed $616 million to the protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries.

Rotary Club of College Park Local Projects - Each month, the Club honors one student from Lee Middle School, St. Charles Catholic School, Edgewater High School, and Bishop Moore High School. Along with the recognition as "Student of the Month," the students are presented a $50 gift to designate to a special in-school interest. The Club also provides annual scholarships to a graduating senior from both Edgewater and Bishop Moore High Schools. This amounts to more than $2500 in gifts that are given directly to College Park area students!

Additional funds also were distributed to the following organizations:

Adult Literacy, Causes for Change International, Christian Service Center for Central Florida, Central Fl Sentinels of Freedom, Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, Heart of Romania Children Foundation, Hospice of the Comforter, Lake Silver Elementary, Morningstar Fisherman, New Hope for Kids, Orlando Volleyball Academy, Primrose Center, Princeton Elementary, Rob Grahm Foundation, Russell Home, Transition House, US Lacrosse.

"For more than 20 years, the Rotary Club of College Park has been giving back to the community, locally and internationally," said Diane Glassman Kish, president, Rotary Club of College Park. "Our members nominate additional organizations to benefit from our fund-raising efforts... One hundred percent of profits raised benefit local students and charities both locally and internationally."

Tickets for this year's Taste are $50 per person for food and wine, plus the evening will include a silent auction, live entertainment and feature a live auction. Corporate sponsorships are also available for $2500 and will include 10 tickets to the event plus special recognition.

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