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Fork in the Road fundraiser will benefit EATS Park City

EATS Park City, a nonprofit organization that works with the Park City School District and the community to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating, was established two years ago.

Since then, it has grown exponentially and made strides to improve school-meal nutrition through different programs such as taste tests, cooking programs and school gardens, said board member Lisa Allison.

So far, EATS Park City works with all the elementary schools, Ecker Hill Middle School and Treasure Mountain Junior High School, Allison said during an interview with The Park Record.

"We just received funding from Park City Rotary to start a new garden project at Trailside Elementary and that’s very exciting," she said. "Also, Annie Wallace at Ecker Hill has started getting the beds ready for an ongoing garden project as well."

The goal is to have full gardens at all the elementary schools.

"We have a couple of classroom gardens, but we need funding and a teacher champion," Allison said.

That’s one of the reasons why EATS is hosting a Fork in the Road fundraiser at Murdock’s at Canyons Resort on Saturday, May 23, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. All the money raised with benefit EATS Park City.

"We realize it’s Memorial Day Weekend, but there are people who are in town who are looking for something fun to do," Allison said.

The event will feature food from many different vendors.

"Canyons has been a great supporter of ours for our taste tests and cooking classes," Allison said. "But not only will the executive chefs at Canyons supply food, but we’ll also have support from Zoom, High West Distillery, Done To Your Taste Catering and two new vendors, Ritual Chocolate and Woodland Biscuit Company."

The night will include live music by singer and songwriter Andy Bailey and a silent auction.

"It wouldn’t be a fundraiser without a silent auction," Allison said, laughing. "There are many local organizations contributing to the auction."

Some of the auction items include art work from Gallery MAR, in-home cooking experiences with local chefs Zeke Wray from the Farm at Canyons and Jordan Harvey from Zoom, Deer Valley Music Festival symphony tickets and a hotel and spa package from Hotel Park City.

"The event is also a way for people to not only socialize, but learn more about EATS Park City in a setting that is less chaotic and frenetic," Allison said.

In addition to working with the Park City School District, EATS Park City collaborates with Holy Cross Ministries for cooking classes that are held after school at McPolin Elementary.

"We are looking to expand those classes into the summer this year," Allison said.

One of the main programs EATS prides itself on is the taste test.

"Once a month we introduce a locally sourced vegetable into the schools," Allison explained. " local, we like the vegetables we use to come from the state of Utah. As we go into growing season, we’ll look to source the food from Park City."

Some of the recent veggies showcased have been asparagus, Brussels sprouts and radishes.

"We let the kids try these vegetables on their own in a specialized tasting, because we know if we introduced these vegetables as a lunch item, the kids wouldn’t recognize it and, most likely, not even try them," Allison said. "So, if we prepare them and tell them what this vegetable is and what it looks like, the kids will have more of an understanding of where it comes from and that not all the food they can eat comes wrapped in Styrofoam or plastic wrap.

"When we do this, the students are more willing and more accepting to these vegetables," she said. "We found when that happens, they are more apt to go home and tell their parents that they tried eating asparagus or Brussels sprouts and want to have some at home."

Tickets to the fundraiser are $75 and attendance is limited to 100 people. Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.eatsparkcity.org .

"However if people can’t attend but still want to contribute, they can log on and make a donation,’ Allison said.

Donations can be made in different ways as well, such as volunteering, according to Allison.

"We invite anyone who wants to get involved to contact us," she said. "If you like gardening, we would love to have you for an hour or two during the week. If you’re a foodie, this is perfect for you. There are plenty of things to be done.

"Also, you don’t need to be a parent to get involved," Allison said. "Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t have kids, but I’m involved because it’s, one, important to be involved with the community, and this is a great thing to be involved in."

EATS Park City, a nonprofit organization that works with the Park City School District and the community to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating, will host a fundraiser called Fork in the Road at Murdock’s at Canyons Resort on Saturday, May 23. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, libations, live music and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by May 22 by visiting http://www.eventbrite.com/e/fork-in-the-road-tickets-16604051164 . For more information, visit http://www.eatsparkcity.org.


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