Thursday, April 29, 2010 (Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania) – Hands On Disaster Response (HODR) is hosting a Beer vs. Wine Paired Tasting Benefit on Thursday, May 20th, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at The Gem and Keystone™ Brewpub located in Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania in support of the organization’s work in the aftermath of Haiti’s recent devastating earthquake.
From April 8th to the 11th, local volunteers ventured abroad to assist HODR in its Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Among the volunteers were Karima Cherkoui and Liz and Pete Kirkwood. At the tasting benefit, these volunteers will present their experiences in words and pictures.
“Our experience in Haiti was both shocking and uplifting,” said Liz. “It is really hard to explain
how much destruction we saw. Yet the people we encountered were warm, strong, and determined to survive.”
HODR is a US-based 501(c)3 non-profit that enables individual volunteers to personally assist survivors of natural disasters around the world. By providing free housing, meals, tools, and organized work to volunteers on-site in the aftermath of events like Haiti’s earthquake, they deliver rapid and effective relief to communities in need. HODR’s programs always respond to the needs of the particular community, which means that they are timely, relevant, and culturally-sensitive.
Peter Kirkwood co-founded HODR in 2004 after the infamous South Asian tsunami ravaged the village of Kamala, Thailand, where he and Liz were then residing. Since then, HODR has responded to numerous natural disasters both in the US and around the world.
“Supporting HODR, whether as a volunteer or as a donor, is incredibly gratifying,” says Pete Kirkwood. “We spend money on real relief - shovels, wheelbarrows, shelter materials - instead of overhead; we make a massive and immediate difference in the lives of disaster survivors; and we inspire our volunteers with person-to-person connections forged in the most challenging of circumstances."
The tasting benefit will feature numerous small plates of The Gem’s finest cuisine - each plate paired with a spectacular ShawneeCraft® beer and a fine wine from Napa Cellars. ShawneeCraft’s brewer, Leo Bongiorno, and Damian Diman, Wine Specialist from Capitol Wine and Spirits, will be on hand to explain the pairings and to elaborate on the ways in which drink can enhance food.
Does that delectable hors d’oeuvre pair best with a fine wine or with an artisan ale? You be the judge! Our chef will produce a five course tasting of tapas-style plates, each one paired with BOTH a ShawneeCraft® beer AND a wine from Napa Cellars. ShawneeCraft’s brewer Leo Bongiorno and Napa Cellars wine specialist Damian Diman will guide you through your tastings, and at the end of the evening, we’ll ask for your vote: which dish went best with which drink? The Gem and Keystone™ will make an extra donation to HODR on behalf of the winner!
The cost to attend the Beer vs. Wine Pairing Tasting Benefit at The Gem and Keystone™ Brewpub is $50.00. Please call The Gem and Keystone at: (570)424-0990 for tickets by phone, or simply stop by The Gem. For more information on HODR (or to make a donation online), please visit www.hodr.org.
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