Cruising & Tasting For St. Jude Saturday March 23rd, Beginning at 11 am

“Cruising & Tasting For St. Jude” is a fundraiser to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital featuring five local Northshore restaurants. Lisa Marie Lucidi, owner of LM Studio, has coordinated volunteer fundraisers for St. Jude’s for the past 16 years.  Participants will ‘cruise’ from one local eatery to the next, ‘tasting’ a sampling of one or two of the restaurant’s most interesting dishes, along with drink specials at an additional charge.  Live music at the final stop is being provided by local band, Sharon Schech and The Rebel Yell, beginning at 4 p.m.

Don’s Seafood Hut Restaurant, Annadele’s Plantation Restaurant, Copeland’s, Zea Rotisserie & Grill, and Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food Restaurant are the participating venues, with Starbucks providing coffee at the final stop.  Tickets to Cruising & Tasting For St. Jude are $40 per person if pre-registering through March 21; $45 per person on the day of the event. Participants will also receive a t-shirt.

This event begins at Don’s Seafood Hut at 11 a.m., with dining from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We then move on to Annadele’s  from 12 to 1:30 p.m., followed by a stop at Copeland’s from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and then at Zea Rotisserie & Grill from 2 to 3:30 p.m.; with the final stop at Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food from  3 to 6 p.m.  At each stop, participants will pick a playing card and try the sampling the restaurant has prepared.

Once participants have obtained five certified entries at the different locations on their score cards they’ll participate in a raffle or place a bid on various auction items. Participants with the top three poker hands will win prizes. First prize is a three-hour limousine ride for eight provided by Lagniappe Concierge Limousine Service and a $100 gift card to Jerk’s Island Grill; second prize is a one night stay at Annadele’s Plantation, with breakfast and gift basket; and third prize is a spa day which includes massage, facial, hairstyle or cut, and makeover.

“St. Jude ensures that no child in need is turned away because they don’t have the money to pay for cancer treatment,” says Lucidi.  “One hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards St. Jude to assist them in finding new treatments for childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases.”

Transportation to and from each stop is not provided, and designated drivers are requested when drinking. To pre-register and for more information go to www.sjchfundraiser.com.  You may call Lisa Marie at 985-869-1915 or Patricia Warden at 985-630-0719. Additional donations, participating businesses, and volunteers are welcome.