‘We had fun taking the ‘Thank You’ photo,’ said Hospice Executive Director Brian Gardam. ‘To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many of our staff together in the same place.’

 NORWOOD -- Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley celebrated a milestone May 6 when sponsors, volunteers, guest chefs and a throng of hungry diners gathered at the Lobster House in Norwood for the 15th Annual Tastes of Spring fundraiser.

“This was a very special year for us,” said Hospice Director of Development and Community Relations Brad Catling. “The attendance was great, the sponsors were great. We served 215 guests and raised over $16,600. It was a huge success.”

The annual gourmet brunch benefits patients and family members who are receiving hospice services.

Hospice board member and event chairperson Lainey Scott has been involved in the Tastes of Spring event since it began. “One of my favorite parts of the event is seeing everyone working together for the good of hospice. Our volunteers, especially the ones who have never worked in a restaurant are blown away by how hard it is to serve 200 plus people a really beautiful lunch, but they throw themselves into it and we all have a great time. Like this year, we had three amazing volunteers working in the kitchen; June O’Neill, and Wendy and Keitha Arquiett. They prepped salads, made coffee and did everything else that needed doing. They were beat at the end of the day, but they had a great time!”

Looking back on her years helping with the event, Scott said, “What keeps people coming back, without a doubt, are the chefs who create the entrees. Chefs from St. Lawrence University, Aramark, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton usually do the honors and what they come up with is truly unbelievable. Of course the desserts, which come from several local vendors, are pretty amazing too. I love the looks on the diners’ faces when they see the dessert table. Everything is there from cheesecake to chocolate truffles. Most people give themselves some time to look over all the choices before they pick one out.”

As interest in Tastes of Spring grew, people in the Massena community became very enthusiastic and wanted to organize a second event. This is how Tastes of Autumn began in 2001, hosted by Dominic and Ross Violi at their restaurant. “Tastes of Autumn has a flair all its own. Members of the Massena Rotary Club, (most of them wearing tuxedos) are our ‘pretend’ waiters for the day,” said Scott. “They even have a friendly competition to see who can make the most tips, which are also donated to Hospice.”

“It’s humbling when I think about the support Hospice has received from the community for both events. Dominic and Ross Violi and Lobster House owners, Gary and Paula DeLorme graciously throw open their doors and give us access to everything from table linens to coffee and creamer and anything else we need,” Scott said. “I think that speaks volumes about the respect they have for the organization and the services provided day in and day out”.

Reflecting on the event, which began early in his tenure as executive director, Brian Gardam said, “These events have been remarkable in terms of the services they have helped us provide for our patients and their families. We offer services regardless of patients’ ability to pay and maintain a high standard of care that often includes treatments and programs that are not completely covered by insurance. Tastes of Spring and Autumn help ensure that our patients receive the best care possible when it’s needed most.”

“We had fun taking the ‘Thank You’ photo,” said Gardam. “To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many of our staff together in the same place. They’re always off to the far corners of the county taking care of their patients. We just wanted to say a proper ‘Thank You’ for 15 great years. So, on behalf of Hospice staff, board members and volunteers, we thank everyone involved in the Tastes events: the DeLormes and the Violis, the sponsors for their generous support, the volunteers for their hard work and commitment, the diners who enjoy the wonderful meals and the chefs that keep us coming back year after year!”