Originally published at: MassLive
HOLYOKE –Get ready for a Night of Passion.
The April 5 event at The Log Cabin will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. It will be a night of food, fun, networking, surprises and meeting area celebrities.
There will be 11 stations at which a celebrity's passion for food or spirits will be highlighted.
The offerings will be "unbelievably varied" from appetizers to main courses to desserts, said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, co-founder of Link to Libraries. "There will be something for everyone including vegetarians and vegans."
Celebrity guests will include: Delcie Bean IV, CEO of Paragus Strategic IT; Kevin and Jane Rhodes (he is Springfield Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor); Gary Bernice, music director at Springfield High School of Science and Technology; Michael Mathis, president and chief operating officer of the MGM Springfield Development; and Allison Werder, president of Masslive.
Attorney Amy B. Royal, who has offices in Northampton and Springfield, will talk about her passion for a special German meal her mother used to make: sauerbraten, spaetzle and sweet and sour red cabbage.
She chose to focus on that meal as a way to honor her late mother, Elisabeth A. Royal.
"I'll talk about the prep time. It's the commitment," Amy Royal said. "You typically start five to seven days ahead to make the marinade, and it stays in your refrigerator."
Her mother used the family recipe -- passed down from Amy's great grandmother who emigrated to the United States from Germany – for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays; Amy made it for her family last Christmas.
IF YOU GO
Event: A Night of Passion
When: April 5, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: Log Cabin, Holyoke
Tickets: $40
For more information: Online at linktolibraries.org
The event at The Log Cabin will not be a sit-down dinner; guests will be encouraged to walk around, network and have fun, Jaye-Kaplan said.
The event is a fundraiser for Link to Libraries Inc., which collects and distributes new and gently used books to elementary school libraries and non-profit organizations and enhances the language and literacy skills of children of all cultural backgrounds.
There will be a raffle; one item is a trip to a wine festival in Newport.
Tickets for The Night of Passion are $40 and include food and beverages. "We kept the ticket price low so everybody who wants to come is able to come," Jaye-Kaplan said. "Keeping the cost low brings the community together and doesn't exclude anybody."
Tickets can be obtained by sending a check to Karen Blinderman, PO Box 958, West Springfield, MA 01090-0958.
This is a biennial fund-raiser for Link to Libraries, which has distributed nearly 500,000 books since its inception in 2008 to underserved boys and girls in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.
One hundred percent of all ticket sales for The Night of Passion will benefit Link to Libraries, compliments of The Log Cabin-Delaney House.
