If you like beer — or you’d like to have a Facetime chat with the Soup Nazi — you won’t want to miss the Rotary Club of New Westminster’s upcoming fundraiser.
One of the items up for grabs in the Bevies and Bites fundraiser’s silent auction is a picture and chef’s coat that actor Larry Thomas (aka the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld) autographed when he was last in town for a fundraising event at Greens & Beans Deli in Sapperton. Leona Green, co-owner of the deli, is donating the items and is arranging for a Facetime call with Thomas for the winning bidder.
“I’ll be at the event, and then when the highest bidder gets picked, I’ll phone him and they can have a Facetime; right there and then,” she said. “That will be fun.”
Green donated the prize because she thought the prize would be a nice fit for the food-and-beverage-themed fundraiser.
The Rotary Club of New Westminster is hosting Bevies & Bites 2023, an evening of local craft beer and beverage tastings, accompanied by a variety of appetizers. It’s on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Royal City Centre, 610 Sixth St.
“It’s very social — you can chat with the brewers; everybody is sampling the beers and the food, socializing and chatting,” said Dave Vallee, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s a nice community vibe.”
Vallee said the ticket includes a chance to sample products from one juicery, two distilleries and 17 craft breweries.
“It's a fun event,” he said. “Some of these breweries have just incredible beers. … The whiskey samples are quite small, but the beer samples, you get two to three ounce samples. You can try 17 breweries, and each one will have two or three different beers.”
A number of restaurants will also be providing “bites” for the event, including chicken wings, spring rolls, fries and sushi.
In addition to beverages and snacks, the third annual event includes a silent auction, a 50/50 draw and a chance to network with other community members.
Aside from the Soup Nazi package, other items up for grabs in the silent auction include gift certificates, gift cards and gift baskets.
Tickets for Bevies and Bites are $43.45, which includes a souvenir tasting glass, beverages and snacks.
Net proceeds from the fundraiser will support community programs.
“The two main recipients are Don't Go Hungry (a local food support program) and Domestic Abuse Services,” Vallee said, “and then some will go to other Rotary projects that we do throughout the year — not-for-profit; all of it goes back into the community.”
