On March 15, the Counseling Center Inc. will present the agency’s fourth annual Celebrity Dinner and Auction. The fundraising event will be held at the SOMC Friends Community Center and starts at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Theme is “Tour of Italy.” In addition to having lots of fun at this event, your support will benefit the agency’s long running Summer Outreach Camp for area youth. If you have not attended a Celebrity Dinner and Auction, this might be the year!

Local volunteer “Celebrity Chefs” will be teaming up this year to provide some Italian specialties of their own including soups, pasta/vegetable dishes, and appetizers. The 2012 “Celebrity Chefs” are Chip and Ginger Maillet, Greg and Kim Bauer, Dr. John Turjoman and Dr. Debbie Scurlock, Judge Steve and Leasa Mowery, Jim and Rebecca Yount, Elizabeth Blevins and Dr. Mary Oling Sisay, Jesse and Amanda Johnson, Dr. Terry and Jennifer Johnson, Asa and Ann Jewett, Scott and Justin “Juice” Schmidt and WSAZ TV’s Randy Yohe. They will all be volunteering their time, talents and resources to participate in this popular event.

In addition to the “Celebrity Chef” offerings, there will be a main Italian buffet provided by Rocco’s Ristorante located in Ceredo, W.Va. Hatti Beasly’s will be scooping up Gelato and you will be delighted to see Marco Morgavani (Mark Morgan) serving up tasty spaghetti and meat sauce.

Aside from all of the gastronomical delights, entertainment for the evening will include John Craig treating us to accordion music found in an Italian cafe and Stan Workman of the Southern Ohio Light Opera and, straight from Italy, Fr. Guido Sarducci (Dr. Michael Raies) treating us to some Italian classics and humor.

Don’t miss out on the 50/50 drawing, raffle, and a silent auction. Included in the items up for grabs are dinners, cooking classes, overnights, food baskets and much more! Steve Hayes emcee will be on hand to encourage the crowd to eat heartily and bid enthusiastically!

Individual tickets for the event are $30 per person (that includes a reserved seat and dinner including a beverage and dessert). Table sponsorships are also available for $500.

A dedicated planning committee comprised of Saundra Wheeler, Ann Jewett, Julia Wisniewski, Sallie Schisler, Betty Kennedy, Debbie Morgan, William McKinley, Dr. Robert Nelson, Barb Burke, PALS members, and The Counseling Center staff has contributed a lot of time, talent, and resources to ensure the event’s success. For this we are grateful.

For more information regarding the Celebrity Dinner and Auction and reservations, contact Susan McComas at 354-3829, ext. 240, or Tiffany Armstrong at 354-3829, ext 234. Seating is limited, call today.

Susan McComas

Director of Resource Development,

The Counseling Center