Help me, help others! And have some fun!

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day!! (dog/cat moms and maternal figures count too!!)

I am here today with a different sort of newsletter at a different time! (I am a little swamped with work so excuse the later time!) But here I have a true “news” letter with two pieces of great and important news if you happen to live in the Charleston area! (But if you live further afield keep reading as you can still help me out with a donation to a great cause!)

To get this started, let me say I have been a proud member of the local chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier for about 20 years now! This is a non-profit org made up of a divers group of ladies in all sorts of food & bev professions (from farmers to chefs to wine folks to marketing pros…you name it!). The main purpose of our local chapter (outside of camaraderie) is to raise scholarship funds each year for women pursuing careers in culinary arts, hospitality, beverage management, nutrition, event management, and related areas. Scholarship support is provided by the LDEI Charleston Chapter to assist women in these careers by funding specific requests for undergraduate/graduate course work and continuing education or certification programs in these areas. My first piece of news is that our scholarship applications are open (and have been for a little bit) so it’s a rather tight deadline of May 15, but if you meet the criteria please apply! Link is here! (And for all you wine ladies – yes, you can use the scholarship money towards any sort of wine certification!) (And if you have any interest in joining this terrific org please email me sarah@grapetoable.com – main qualification is five years of work in the food & bev world.)

Secondly, we are about to have our biggest fundraiser of the year to raise money for these scholarships and to benefit two other non-profits we work with. So please consider buying a ticket to this terrific night of food & bev improv comedy on Monday, June 8, 6:30 p.m., 442 King Street. Here is our full description below! And here’s the link for tickets. It’s $95/person, which includes drinks, lite bites, and a comedy show — what a deal! And if you live further afield and cannot attend you can still make a donation! Just click here!

Food and beverage has never been this funny. Join us for a night of laughter, connection, and purpose – where a good time gives back. Together, we’ll raise a glass (and some funds) in support of culinary scholarships – while poking a little fun at the wonderfully wild industry we all know and love. Sip, snack, and mingle with friends over curated bites and beverages before the main event: an unforgettable, one-night-only improv comedy experience. Led by Maari Suorsa of Nameless Numberhead and Rip City, alongside a lineup of hilarious women, this fully unscripted show will be created in real time – driven entirely by your suggestions. No scripts, no reruns, just pure, spontaneous fun.

Les Dames d’Escoffier International is a global nonprofit with over 2,400 members across 42 chapters in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and France. The Charleston Chapter, founded in 2006 by the incomparable Nathalie Dupree, proudly includes 40 members dedicated to advancing women in the industry.

Proceeds from this event will support $10,000 in culinary scholarships and contribute to our philanthropic partners, including Transformation Table and Charleston Wine + Food’s Culinary High School Scholars Enrichment Program. Come for the bites, stay for the belly laughs — and leave knowing you made a difference.

Thanks for your consideration!! Cheers!

P.S. If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. There’s lots to read – from my origin story (click here to read) to fun content focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food. For now, my newsletter is free and you can find all the content by clicking here – basically a little Grape to Table website created by the great folks at Substack. I did realize recently that you only see the various categories of past newsletters if you open this link in a browser (rather than the Substack app). It’s a shame because the categories make it easy to find content you might be interested in…so here are some more embedded links! Click here for Wine Tips. Click here for Recipes. Click here for Q & As. Click here for Wine Club. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button as it helps get the content in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!

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