Passport to Wine & Dine benefits Global Ties Akron Leave a comment
Occasionally, I bump into Akron Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Charles Brown when I am in downtown Akron on an assignment. I enjoy our conversations as they always center around food and wine.
Brown and I bumped into each other last November at the Sanabel Middle East Bakery on South Street.
Local Flavor:Local Flavor: Sanabel Middle East Bakery features authentic Lebanese ‘home cooking’
As we talked, Brown said something that will stick in my head for the rest of my life.
“It’s all about folks getting together, enjoying some food and learning about each other,“ Brown said as he waited in line for some of Norma Touma’s delicious Lebanese food. “We wouldn’t have all of the problems that we have today if people would just do that.”
It was Brown who also called the other day to put me in touch with Michelle Wilson, the executive director of Global Ties Akron.
The organization works to build a cultural infrastructure between Akron and the rest of the world.
“Our mission is building bridges between Akron’s community and the world through leadership exchange programs,” Wilson said.
The U.S. Department of State International Leadership Program and the Open World Leadership Program are two examples.
On Saturday, Global Ties Akron was supposed to be welcoming a group of women veterans from the Ukraine.
Over the years, the organization has hosted more than 150 leaders from the Slavic nation.
The veterans were supposed to visit the MAPS Museum, Hoban High School and a veterans home, as well as Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan and Akron City Council.
Instead, the women informed the program that they were staying to defend their country against the recent attacks by Russia.
Passport to Wine & Dine benefits Global Ties Akron
Global Ties Akron is holding a wine tasting and food event to support the organization’s ongoing efforts to bring people together from across the word.
The Passport to Wine & Dine event will take place 5 to 8 p.m. March 13 at the Bounce Innovation Hub at 526 S Main St. in Akron to raise money for the organization.
Local distributor, Bottle to Glass, will curate wines from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Moldova to pair with small gourmet plates by chef John Bahas. His tasty noshes include scampi-style mini scallops with scallions, Havarti and hen gnocchi, Fontina stuffed lamb meatballs with chimichurri marinara on gilled spinach and smoked and grilled sweet pork shoulder.
If that’s not enough, there will be an international dessert course too. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase wines by the bottle or case.
A hand-crafted gift and raffle ticket will be included with each $125 ticket.
A Biddingowl.com account has been set up to bid on silent auction items consisting of globally themed gift baskets. Bids can be placed until 7 p.m. the day of the event. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each or five for $20.
More details are available on the organization’s website: https://globaltiesakron.org/passport-to-wine-dine-2022/
“There’s a great love for the ethnic community in Akron,” event chair Sam DeShazior said.
And what’s not to love about an event that includes good food, wine, friends and culture?
Internationally known and Washington D.C.-based Chef Jose Andres is showing the world how powerful food can be.
This week, Andres set up his World Central Kitchen at the Poland/Ukraine boarder to provide warm meals for refugees fleeing the war against the Soviet Union.
And Andres said: “Nothing sends a bigger message of hope than a humble piece of food.”
