A Taste of Jackson County
July 29, 2007
Whoever said greasy pizza doesn’t exactly promote a healthy lifestyle might want to check the menu again.
Several Carbondale food and drink establishments, including DiMaggio’s Pizza, will be on hand to support “A Taste of Jackson County” fundraiser Aug. 10, which benefits the Abundant Health Clinic located in the northwest end of Carbondale.
The Abundant Health Clinic specializes in treatment of patients that do not have the luxury of health insurance.
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Harbaugh’s Caf�, Bethel A’E, Jewel of India among others will also participate in the charity event. Alto Vineyards, Common Grounds, Pepsi and Budweiser will supply the drink menu in an event that Abundant Health Clinic executive director Karissa Howell said is growing by the year.
“This is the seventh year in which we have had the ‘Taste of Jackson County,'” Howell said. “We started out with 150 to 200 people. Last year we had between 280 and 300. This year we expect the crowd to get bigger.”
The event, which will be held at the Carbondale Civic Center, will cost goers $20 per ticket. Five dollars will go directly to benefit the clinic while the remaining $15 will be used as meal tickets for vendor’s food and drink.
Howell said the event is a chance for citizens to show their support for the Clinic in ways they otherwise might not have time for.
“Our average patient income is $734 per month, so they are definitely unable to purchase health care,” Howell said. “This is a way where the community could get involved where people who don’t have the medical skills or work full time can come in and help the clinic out in different ways.”
Paul Renzaglia, general manager of the Alto Vineyards, said his family – owners of the winery and vineyard – feels an obligation to the community that has helped support its business.
“We just feel really strongly that we are part of this community and it is important enough to us that we can assist in these types of fundraisers and assist in the development of our community,” Renzaglia said.
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Alto Vineyards, which has participated in the event for all seven years of the fundraiser’s existence, will offer a variety of its wines at the event.
Renzaglia said Alto could be offering up to six different wine selections.
“I believe we have been doing this one since the start,” Renzaglia said. “We do a lot of these events and we are really proud to say that we do. We donate a lot of our products to these types of events.”
“A Taste of Jackson County” will also feature music from local pianist Anita Hutton and “Classic Intervals” – a barbershop quartet.
Laura Harbaugh, owner of Harbaugh’s Caf�, said this will be her second go-around with the fundraiser. She said more than anything it is a good way to reconnect with customers that have kept her business thriving.
“We do it more or less to support the community,” Harbaugh said. “We have had the support of local (residents) and this is a chance to thank everybody by going out to meet some people. A chance to stop and talk to them.”
Aside from helping patients receive medical practice and advice without proper insurance, the Abundant Health Clinic also helps SIU students looking for experience in the medical field.
Howell said students could volunteer for the Clinic, which has provided more than $60,000 worth of medicine to patients this year, and provided a variety of services.
“Each year we have close to 100 SIU students volunteer a year,” Howell said. “Those looking to go to medical school, they can learn how to operate a medical clinic, how to dispense medicine and learn what different medications do. They get a chance to be a lot more hands on.”
For more information regarding “A Taste of Jackson County,” please contact Howell at 618-529-9459.
Daily Egyptian reporter Brian Feldt can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 258 or [email protected].
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