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Student Chef, Professional Chef Take Top Honors in Annual Food & Wine Challenge

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The 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge bestows accolades, raises funds for

Culinary student Jacob Busler with his Chef's Choice award.

children and adults with disabilities.

June 7, 2012 (Pine Level, NC) – Culinary student Jacob Busler of the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham, and Chef Connie Pennell of Parkside Café and Catering in Pine Level, NC, walked away with top honors from the 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge, an annual food and wine competition that was held this year on June 2 at Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.

Selected through a blind tasting by professional chefs, culinary student Jacob Busler won the coveted Chef’s Choice award for his Shrimp and Bacon Creole – a surprise win for a student competing against veteran professional chefs. Busler’s wine ingredient was Hinnant’s Blanc du bois. He also took third place in the People’s Choice competition.

Chef Connie Pennell received the most votes from the sold-out crowd of diners for her Pork Tenderloin with Chardonnay/Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. Along with the People’s Choice award, she also received an Honorable Mention in the Chef’s Choice competition.

In this annual fundraiser for RHA Howell, a statewide organization that serves children and adults with disabilities, seven professional chefs and two culinary students were challenged to use a Hinnant wine as a primary ingredient in a signature dish.

Other winners in the Chef’s Choice competition were:

  • ·       Third place: Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh for his Duck Dumplings in a Blackberry Wine/Ginger Sauce.
  • ·       Second place tie: between Chef Mario Huante, of Chef Mario’s Inc., in Raleigh, for his Bacon Wrapped Steak prepared with Hinnant’s Norton red wine, with a Vanilla Bourbon Sauce and Red Wine “Caviar”; and Chef Jeremy Law of Soco Farm & Food in Wilson for his Scuppernong Sorbet with Spiced Rhubarb Compote and Toasted Walnuts.

Chef Mario Huante also took second place in the People’s Choice challenge.

“We would like to thank each and every one of our executive chefs and restaurants who participated in this year’s food and wine Epicurious Vino Challenge,” said RHA Howell event coordinator Debbie Valentine.

Other participating chefs were:

  • ·       Chef Peter Edgar, Quince: A Southern Bistro, Wilson
  • ·       Chef Gordon Gray, Garden on Millbrook, Raleigh
  • ·       Chef Mark Lawson, East Restaurant at the Blockade Runner, Wrightsville Beach
  • ·       And student chef Jeneen Hill, also of the at International Culinary School of The Art Institutes, Raleigh/Durham

The judges for the Chef’s Choice competition were Chef Bob Passerelli, executive chef with US Food Services and a former executive chef at the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion, Chef David Gaydeski, current Executive Chef at the Governor’s Mansion, and Chef Wes Dills who serves as event manager at Hinnant Family Vineyards.

Comedian Derrick Tennant

Along with sampling all the food created by the nine chefs who participated this year, the sold-out food and wine event included a silent and live auction that added to the funds raised, as well as entertainment by comedian Derrick Tennant.

The main sponsors for the 2012 event were RHA Howell, Inc; US Foodservice, Inc.; Hinnant Family Vineyards; Southern Pharmacy Services; Van Products; Morcom Medical Consultants; Fallon Benefits Group; and Wake Stone Corporation. Print Enterprise, Inc., provided all printed materials.

All proceeds from the Epicurious Vino Challenge benefit children and adults with medical, physical, or mental disabilities. For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, please go to www.rhahowell.org.

Plans Are Underway For RHA Howell’s 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge

Categories: RHA Howell Inc.
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The popular culinary event is now accepting chefs, sponsors.

April 5, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – RHA Howell, Inc., the statewide non-profit organization that serves people with disabilities and their families, has announced the 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 2, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the 80-acre Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.

All proceeds benefit a child or an adult with a medical, physical, or mental disability.

The Epicurious Vino Challenge is RHA Howell’s most popular annual fundraiser, which includes live entertainment, The “challenge” is that participating chefs must randomly select one of Hinnant Family Vineyard’s award-winning wines, then create a signature dish using that wine as an ingredient.

On the night of the event, the chefs prepare small plates for the judges and the guests to sample as the chefs compete for The Chefs Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award. The samples are presented in the vineyard’s spacious wine tank room.

A panel of professional chefs from U.S. Food Service selects the Chef’s Choice award through a blind tasting. Those who attend the event vote for the People’s Choice award winner.

Last year’s top winner, Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh (www.vinniessteakhouse.com), has already signed on to compete again this year, along with the 2010 Chef’s Choice winner, Brian Battistella of Battistella’s in Raleigh (battistellas.com), and Chef Jeremy Law of SoCo Farm & Food in Wilson (www.soconc.com).

Chefs who would like to participate, and businesses or individuals who would like to serve as sponsors (four levels of sponsorship are available), should contact event coordinator Debbie Valentine by either calling her at 919.803.2960 or emailing dvalentine@rhanet.org.

Along with the opportunity to sample original dishes by some of North Carolina’s finest professional chefs, this year’s event will include entertainment by nationally known comic Derrick Tennant, free wine tastings and specialty martinis, music, and a live auction.

Ticket information will be available soon on RHA Howell’s website, www.rhahowell.org, and on the Epicurious Vino Challenge Facebook page.

Hinnant Family Vineyards & Winery is the largest muscadine vineyard in North Carolina sprawling over 80 acres. Its international, award winning wines range from dry white and reds to the traditional sweet scuppernongs. The vineyard is located in Pine Level, NC between Raleigh and Kinston. For more information: www.hinnantvineyards.com.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity and high standards of quality and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell program. RHA Howell is a pioneering force in the field of human services for children and adults across North Carolina with the mission “Opening the world for people with disabilities and in turn, enriching the lives of everyone they touch.” For more information, visit www.rhahowell.org.

“Eat For Broad Street” Fundraiser To Be Held in Carteret County

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Participating restaurants help raise funds for the county’s free health clinic.

On Friday, October 21, 40 restaurants in Carteret County will participate in “Eat For Broad Street,” a day-long fundraiser to support Broad Street Clinic, a free health clinic in Morehead City that has served the coastal county for 18 years.

The restaurants will donate 10 percent of their profits that day to the clinic to help it provide medications to patients who are indigent, uninsured, suffer from chronic illness conditions, and can’t afford the cost of doctor’s visits or medications.

Carteret County physicians and other citizens founded the Broad Street Clinic in 1993 as a private, non-profit, free health clinic serving the adult residents of Carteret County and surrounding areas.

Originally located in Beaufort, the clinic is now located at North 35th Street in Morehead City, near Carteret General Hospital.

To see the list of restaurants participating in “Eat For Broad Street,” visit www.broadstreetclinic.org and click on “future events.”

For more information on the clinic, contact Dr. Mary Katherine Lawrence at 252-241-4154, or email: freeclinic@bizec.rr.com.

RHA Howell To Host “Put It On The Table” Design Competition, Fundraiser

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To benefit children and adults with disabilities in the Tar River and Greenville group homes.

July 26, 2011 (Greenville, NC) – Creative holiday table settings and table top design are the themes for a special fundraiser to benefit RHA Howell’s Tar River and Greenville Group Homes this year entitled, “Put It On The Table.”

On Thursday, November 3, from 4-7 p.m., local businesses — interior designers, florists, gift shops and jewelry stores, restaurants, and other entrants — will use tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, center pieces and other elements to capture the spirit of the holidays. The event will promote their brands and work, while raising funds for children and adults with disabilities. Professional designers will serve as judges to select the “Best in Show” winner, while the attending public will determine the “People’s Choice Award.”

Businesses that enter the “Put It on the Table” competition and fundraiser will pay a $100 entry fee and provide a raffle or silent auction donation valued at $100. All items may also be priced for sale. RHA Howell will provide each entrant a 48-inch unadorned table and any number of chairs.

“We can’t wait to see how creative the table top designers will be,” said RHA Howell marketing director and events planner Debbie Valentine. “And we hope those who come to see the results will be inspired to get creative with their own table tops back home for the holidays.”

For their entry fee, participating designers and businesses will receive advertisements in the “Put It on the Table” program, two tickets to the event, their companies’ names in RHA Howell press releases, and a link to their businesses on the RHA Howell website. The event will also have its own Facebook page and Twitter account. The deadline for entering the competition is September 15.

“Put it on the Table” will be held at St. Peters Catholic Church at 2700 East 4th Street in Greenville, NC. Tickets to the event are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Limited advance tickets will be available from the website at www.rhahowell.org.

Event sponsorships are also available from $250 (“Friends” level) to $2500 (VIP). Benefits for each level of sponsorship will be available soon on the RHA Howell website.

RHA Howell is a non-profit, statewide organization that has been serving children and adults with disabilities for nearly 40 years. Tar River is home to 30 children with complex medical needs who require round-the-clock medical care. The Greenville Group Homes provide care for12 adolescents with special needs.

For more information about RHA Howell Tar River contact Crystal Garman at 252-758-1101 or cgarman@rhanet.org.

For more information about Greenville Group Homes contact Jill Liles at 252-327-2063 or jliles@rhanet.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity, high standards for quality and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

RHA Howell Hosts 2nd Annual Clear Creek Center Golf Classic

Categories: charity, events, fundraising, health, leisure activity, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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May 9, 2011 (Albemarle, NC) – The second Annual Clear Creek Center Golf Classic will

Tillery Traditional Country Club, the site for the golf classic.

be held at the Tillery Traditional Country Club in Albemarle, NC, on Friday, May 20th, hosted by RHA Howell, Inc.

Proceeds will directly benefit children and adults with disabilities in the Charlotte, NC, area.

The second annual Clear Creek Center Golf Classic will be a Captain’s Choice style of play with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The entry fee is $100 per player and includes: greens fees, use of a golf cart, lunch, the awards reception after the tournament, and one entry into the Putting Contest. Each player will be eligible to win hole-in-one and tee gifts.

The Vulcan Materials Company is the organizing sponsor for the event. Other sponsorship levels are available from $25 to $1000 at www.rhahowell.org by clicking on the Clear Creek Golf Classic icon.

RHA Howell is a non-profit, state-wide organization that has been serving children and adults with disabilities, and their families, across North Carolina for nearly 40 years. RHA Howell operates group homes in the Charlotte area as well as the Clear Creek Center, a 120-bed residential facility with an on-site school. Money raised through the golf tournament will directly benefit the children and adults with disabilities in these facilities.

To sign up for the second annual Clear Creek Golf Classic or for more information, call Teresa Bishop at 704-545-7200, ext. 1164, or email her at tbishop@rhanet.org.

For more information on RHA Howell, Inc., visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, please go to www.rhahowell.org.

Cary Jeweler Donates Amethyst Earrings to Epicurious Vino Challenge Auction

Categories: charity, entertainment, events, fashion, fundraising, kids' issues, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites, wine news
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The auction will help raise funds for children and adults with disabilities.

May 3, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — J. M. Edwards Jewelry in Cary, NC, has agreed to donate a pair of earrings, worth $750, to the auction portion of the 2011 Epicurious Vino

Earrings donated by Cary jeweler.

Challenge that will be held Saturday, June 4, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC, to benefit children and adults with disabilities.

Now in its third year, the Epicurious Vino Challenge features professional chefs from Raleigh to Greenville who use Hinnant Family Vineyards wines to create signature dishes for everyone in attendance to sample. After enjoying the food, music, and Hinnant’s award-winning wines in the vineyard’s tank room, guests will then participate in both a silent and live auction in the “barrel gallery.”

Among the items auctioned this year will be the pair of sterling silver, 14-karat yellow gold, and Amethyst drop earrings donated by J. M. Edwards Jewelry to show the company’s support for the fundraiser.

Hosted by RHA Howell, Inc, and benefactors US Foodservice, Hinnant Family Vineyards, and Southern Pharmacy Services, proceeds from the Epicurious Vino Challenge tickets sales and auction will directly benefit children and adults with disabilities across North Carolina.

“We are tremendously grateful to James Carl Edwards of J. M. Edwards Jewelry for this very generous donation,” said RHA Howell, Inc.’s events director Debbie Valentine. “The earrings are gorgeous and one lucky person who attends the event is going to leave with them!”

Valentine anticipates this year’s event selling out quickly. To reserve single tickets ($50 each) or to reserve a table for 10 ($400), go to http://www.rhahowell.org/NewsEvents/Epicurious/tabid/737/Default.aspx. Payment by PayPal is available. Questions about tickets and sponsorships may be directed to dvalentine@rhanet.org or by calling 919-803-2960.

Other sponsor for this year’s event include Southern Pharmacy, Van Products, L&M, Fallon Benefit Group, Marcom Medical Consultants, and Wake Stone Corporation. Print Enterprise, Inc., is providing all printed materials.

For more information on the event, including the list of participating chefs, visit www.rhahowell.org and click on “EVC 2011,” and visit the event’s Facebook page.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, please go to www.rhahowell.org.

Winning Chefs Return For Third Annual Epicurious Vino Challenge

Categories: charity, events, fundraising, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites, wine news
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The popular event combines chefs, wine and charity.  

March 22, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Celebrated chefs from Raleigh to the coast once again will compete to create trademark dishes using Hinnant Family Vineyard’s award-winning wines when US Foodservice Raleigh and RHA Howell present the third annual Epicurious Vino Challenge on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at the vineyard in Pine Level, NC. All proceeds will benefit a child or an adult with a disability.

RHA Howell, a non-profit, state-wide organization serving people with disabilities for nearly 40 years, is especially pleased that the award-winning chefs from last year’s Epicurious Vino Challenge have already signed on to compete again.

The 2010 Chef’s Choice Winner, Chef Brian Batistella of Batistella’s New Orleans Kitchen in Raleigh, has agreed to defend his title.

Chef Tom Armstrong with Vinnie’s Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh will return for the challenge for the third straight year. Chef Armstrong placed second in the Chef’s Choice category in last year and has been a great friend of RHA Howell’s programs.

Chef Pat Walston of House-Autry Mills in Four Oaks won third place in both the Chef’s Choice and People’s Choice categories last year and will be back, along with Chef Joyce Jenkins of The Serving Spoon Catering Company in Pine Level.  Also returning is Sergeant Kimberly Hall of the “Flying Fork” at Seymour Johnston Air Force Base.

For the “challenge,” these and other professional chefs will vie to see who can come up with the most delicious dish using a Hinnant Family Vineyard wines as a key ingredient. The chef’s pull the name of a wine out of a hat.

The crowd in attendance will enjoy the chef’s creations then choose a People’s Choice Award winner. Executive chefs from US Food Services will name the Chef’s Choice winner through a blind judging.

RHA Howell logo

Presented by RHA Howell, the event is sponsored by US Foodservice of Raleigh and Hinnant Family Vineyards & Winery in Pine Level, along with Print Enterprise and Wake Stone Corporation.

Hinnant is the largest muscadine vineyard in North Carolina, sprawling over 80 acres. Its international award-winning wines range from dry whites and reds to traditional sweet scuppernongs. The Epicurious Vino Challenge will take place inside vineyard’s wedding/banquet facility known as “The Barrell Gallery.”

For more information about signing up to compete, reserving a table, or ticket sales, contact Debbie Valentine dvalentine@rhanet.org or call 919-803-2960.  Tickets will go on sale in April. To learn more about RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell program. RHA Howell is a pioneering force in the field of human services for children and adults across North Carolina with the mission “Opening the world for people with disabilities and in turn, enriching the lives of everyone they touch.” For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

New Bern To Host First “Blue Tie Casino Night” To Benefit Children and Adults with Disabilities

Categories: charity, entertainment, kids' issues, leisure activity, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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February 17, 2010 (NEW BERN, NC) — The first Blue Tie Casino Night – complete with music, fine food, signature drinks, and a host of casino-style games – will be held in the main ballroom of the Hilton River Front Hotel, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC, on April 17th, starting at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit children and adults with disabilities.

RHA Howell, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs and their families for more than 35 years, is presenting Blue Tie Casino Night as a fundraiser benefiting children and adults at its Tar River, Greenville Group Homes, and River Bend Centers.

Blue Tie Casino Night will offer a host of non-cash prize casino games such as Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette as well as a full-service food buffet, catered by the Hilton, and an open bar.

The night will also feature a silent and live auction. The live auction will give party-goers a chance to bid on five major packages: the Jimmy Buffett Las Vegas Concert for two in October of 2010, valued at $2050; the 2011 Daytona 500 Package worth $1500; a Girlfriends Shopping Getaway in New York City worth $2400; a 2010 Halloween Weekend in New Orleans valued at $1450; and the Fighter Pilot for a Day Experience (choice of 40 locations) worth $1150.

This event is a production of All-in Entertainment, Inc., which produces similar events for NC State University’s Red & White Ball, the Carolina Hurricanes Casino Night Fundraiser for the Kids ‘n Community Foundation, Glaxo Smith Klein’s Casino Night, and the Marine Corp Ball.

Tickets to the Blue Tie Casino Night are $50 each with tables of 10 available for $400. Seating is limited. To purchase advance tickets, go to www.rhahowell.org/BlueTie.aspx or call RHA event coordinator Debbie Valentine at 919-803-2690. Preferred attire is “dressy cocktail” with an emphasis on blue rather than black tie.

Partnership opportunities are also for individuals and companies, ranging from the $500 Friends Circle to the $5000 Platinum Circle. “Blue Tie Buddy” packages are also available, including a $200 Budget Buddy designation, in-kind sponsorship and game table sponsorship, or by reserving a table for 10. For details on partnerships and Blue Tie Buddy packages, call Debbie Valentine at 919-803-2690 or email her at dvalentine@rhanet.org.

The RHA Howell Tar River Center in Greenville is a pediatric unit supporting 30 medically fragile infants and children with disabilities. The Greenville Group Homes provide quality care for children and teenagers with developmental delays and special needs. The RHA Howell River Bend Center in New Bern is home to 125 children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Proceeds from the Blue Tie Casino Night will directly benefit each person served by these programs.

For more information on RHA Howell, Inc., visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.