Vibrant Occasions Named Exclusive Caterer for The Gaines House 15th Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner

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Indulge in an exquisite culinary journey at The Gaines House 15th Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner, where Vibrant Occasions Catering will present an unforgettable menu designed to delight your taste buds.

Vibrant Occasions Catering is proud to announce its exclusive partnership with The Gaines House for the highly anticipated 15th Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner, honoring the remarkable Kathy Webb. This prestigious event, benefiting homeless women with disabilities, will take place on Thursday, November 9, 2023, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Chenal Event Venue, located at 21 Rahling Circle, Little Rock, AR 72233.


Tickets are on sale at the following link:


https://www.thegaineshouse.org/sandra-wilson-cherry-award-dinner-tickets 


The Sandra Wilson Cherry Award, named after the late Sandra Cherry, recognizes exceptional women who have excelled in both their careers and community service. This year, The Gaines House has chosen Kathy Webb, CEO of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Little Rock City Council member, and Vice Mayor, as the deserving recipient of this distinguished award.


The Gaines House, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a supportive and empowering environment for homeless women with disabilities seeking to transition into independent living. Nestled in the historic Quapaw Quarter, Gaines House offers a warm, homelike atmosphere where residents can thrive. Each woman residing at The Gaines House is required to be either in training for employment or attending an outpatient treatment program, ensuring holistic support to rebuild their lives.


Since its establishment in 1967 by a coalition consisting of the Junior League of Little Rock, Altrusa International of Little Rock, Inc., and the now-dissolved Pulaski County Mental Health Association, The Gaines House has transformed the lives of over 3,500 women from across Arkansas diagnosed with disabilities. Remarkably, an impressive 90% of program participants have successfully achieved rehabilitation, becoming contributing members of our community.


"The Gaines House provides an invaluable service to our community, offering a supervised, residential environment that prepares homeless disabled women for independence," said Mary Krikorian, managing partner for Vibrant Occasions Catering. "We are honored to be part of this noble cause and contribute to the fundraising efforts that provide maintenance and upgrades to the facility, programs for the residents, and essential administrative needs."


As the exclusive caterer for The Gaines House 15th Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner, Vibrant Occasions Catering promises an unforgettable evening filled with exquisite cuisine, heartfelt speeches, and inspiring stories of resilience. By attending this event or becoming a sponsor, you play a pivotal role in enabling The Gaines House to continue its mission of transforming the lives of vulnerable women in the community.


Limited tickets are available for this extraordinary event, so don't miss your opportunity to make a difference. Secure your tickets or become a sponsor now by visiting https://www.thegaineshouse.org/sandra-wilson-cherry-award-dinner-tickets. Together, let's create lasting change, one empowered woman at a time.


Dinner Menu (subject to change slightly)


First Course Plated Meal 


Garden Salad - Served with house vinaigrette 


Dinner Rolls - Freshly-baked sweet rolls and wheat rolls 


Second Course Plated Meal 

Panko Parmesan Crusted Chicken - Crusted in a delicious blend of panko bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese, draped with a beurre blanc sauce 


Garlicky Green Beans - Fresh green beans are cooked to a tender-crisp and lightly seasoned with garlic butter 


Tri-Color Roasted Potatoes - A combination of yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and baby red potatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, lightly seasoned, and roasted 


Vegan/Vegetarian Option Available Upon Request 

Stuffed Acorn Squash - This vegan dish features P. Allen Smith's Ralston Farms' Harvest Blend Rice combined with fresh sauteed vegetables including chickpeas, spinach, peppers and corn along with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts all stuffed inside a roasted acorn squash and drizzled with a vegan cucumber aioli 


Desserts


4 Layer Chocolate Delight Shooters - A luscious dessert that starts with a pecan shortbread crust topped with layers of sweetened cream cheese, velvety chocolate pudding, and whipped cream served in individual glasses 


Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters - Creamy New York Style Cheesecake on a sweetened graham cracker crust, served in individual shot glasses topped with sweetened strawberries 


Photo in this press release is courtesy of The Gaines House.


About Vibrant Occasions: Chef Serge Krikorian and his wife, Mary Krikorian, started their catering business in 2002 and have been in the family restaurant business since 1994. Having catered thousands of events over the years as Dinner’s Ready, they launched Vibrant Occasions Catering, a new name that more accurately depicts the level of food and service provided at weddings and social events. Krikorian was born in Lebanon and moved to the United States with his family as an adult entering college. He now hails from the quaint town of Benton, Arkansas. His southern hospitality paired with his penchant for developing unique international fusion-style recipes, especially sauces, has garnered his reputation as foodies' fan favorite in his community and now on the Youtube space for his cooking show, Cooking with the Kriks. After years of dreaming about owning a mobile kitchen, in December 2020, Serge and Mary launched Our Mobile Kitchen with the intention of providing fresh, 5-star quality chef-prepared cuisine to patrons visiting where the mobile kitchen is parked or on site for catered weddings and social, private or corporate events. Krikorian is an alumnus of Henderson State University where he studied business earning his Bachelor’s Degree and met his wife, Mary. He earned his MBA from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Serge became a restaurant entrepreneur when he purchased an old, run-down pizza parlor he and Mary revived called Sergio’s Pizza. After a few years, they knew the restaurant business was not for them. Mary booked their first official catering gig, much to Serge’s surprise. They began receiving more and more requests for catering luncheons and events. The catering business took over after six months and they never looked back. They have three sons who often work in the business around their academic and career schedules, making their enterprise a family-built business. 


About The Gaines House: The Gaines House serves homeless women with disabilities as a facility to transition to independent living. Gaines House provides a warm homelike atmosphere. Each resident is required to either be in training for employment or attending an outpatient treatment program. Since its founding Gaines House has met the needs of over 3,500 women from all across Arkansas who were diagnosed with disabilities. It is unique in Arkansas in offering a supervised, residential environment preparing homeless disabled women for independence. An incredible 90% of program participants have reached rehabilitation and returned to the community as a contributing member of society. Being located in a large older home is part of the therapeutic benefit of living at the Gaines House. The facility can house 22 women at a time and often has a waiting list. Residents are not limited on the length of time they may stay, and some have been at Gaines House for several years. Gaines House is located in an historic Victorian era home in the Quapaw Quarter in Little Rock. Gaines House was founded in 1967 by a coalition of the Junior League of Little Rock, Altrusa International of Little Rock, Inc,, and the Pulaski County Mental Health Association (no longer in existence). It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.



About Us: Vibrant Occasions is a catering company located in Benton, Arkansas.

Contact Info:
Name: Meredith Corning
Email: Send Email
Organization: Vibrant Occasions Catering
Website: https://vibrantoccasionscatering.com/

Video URL: https://youtu.be/T6j5tvMaXGE?si=eCAsYdlTbYpjJsHk

Release ID: 89111953

CONTACT ISSUER
Name: Meredith Corning
Email: Send Email
Organization: Vibrant Occasions Catering
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