WILMINGTON — Every weekend one local organization manages to prepare and deliver to seniors 600 meals across 200 square miles. During holidays another 600 meals are delivered. To keep the efforts going, an annual foodie fundraiser has tickets on sale to benefit Meals on Wheels.
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Taste of Wrightsville Beach donates its annual proceeds to the nonprofit and last year raised $78,000, putting $16,000 toward efforts in the western part of state following Hurricane Helene.
“We would love to net $100,000 this year,” event organizer Lisa Weeks told Port City Daily.
The money helps keep seniors in the area fed — many of whom are homebound. The majority of the Meals on Wheels clients, according to the organization, are around 75-years-old, some who are also sick or don’t have resources or the ability to prepare their meals.
“We are seeing an increase in the percentage of our 90-year-old clients,” a release from the organization indicates.
Meals on Wheels began in 1990 and welcomes ndividuals and organizations to help with their mission of community give-back.
For instance, the Elks Club has been helping with preparation for three decades and donates their Monday night Bingo proceeds to go toward food purchases.
MegaCorp Logistics uses its state-of-the-art company kitchen and volunteer staff to prepare and package 85 meals on every third Saturday of the month.
While LandRover Cape Fear helps with meal delivery during months with a fifth Sunday, delivering 60 meals on eight routes.
The annual Taste of Wrightsville Beach has raised tens of thousands over the last decade for the program. Partial proceeds from its event also go toward the upstart of a weekend delivery program in Brunswick County.
This year’s event will take place Saturday, Nov. 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., under a tent in the Bluewater Grill parking lot, 4 Marina St. The festival features more than 40 local cuisine, beer, wine and spirit tasting booths; new this year are Sinful Cupcakes and Grind with Gratitude.
Celebrity judges — so far including private chef Lori Eaton, StarNews food writer Alison Ballard and WECT food producer Corey Pearce — will rate their favorite dishes and participants will select the “People’s Choice Awards.”
The event draws in around 700 people annually. Tickets are $100 each and can be purchased here.
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