'Food for Thought: Taste of Lemont' Back, Better than Ever Sept. 19

The people have spoken, and the Lemont High School Educational Foundation Board of Directors heard them loudly and clearly. After seeing a record number of attendees at last year’s first-ever family-friendly event, the LHSEF is following a similar script this year and planning another fun evening under the stars. “Food for Thought: Taste of Lemont” will be held from 5-11 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, at the Metra Lot in downtown Lemont. This event—which again is being made possible in part by Visionary Sponsor Citgo—will include food and beverage from 15 local establishments.

“Food for Thought” is the LHSEF’s most important annual fundraiser, and in 2014, it was an all-ages event for the first time. Approximately 1,900 attendees—parents, students, younger siblings, faculty, staff and community members – comprised the biggest crowd ever for an LHSEF event.

The LHSEF is prepping for “Food for Thought: Taste of Lemont” to be even more successful! A wide variety of restaurants will be featured, and live entertainment will run all night on the main stage at this rain or shine event.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door (ages 6 and up). Each $10 ticket can be redeemed at the door for an event bracelet and $5 of food and beverage coupons to be used at any of the vendors. The format is typical of a “Taste of...” event, with food tickets purchased on site and redeemed with the vendors. Each restaurant will have multiple options on its menu, and no food item will cost more than four tickets ($4).

The “Taste of Lemont” line-up includes: 4 Penguins, Beggars Pizza, Celina’s Fresh Market, Front Street Cantina, Gelsosomo’s Pizzeria, Hamilton’s Pub, Lemont House Restaurant, Mama D’s, Muffins, Otto Brandt Wines, Pollyanna Brewing Company, Rustic Knead, Stonehouse Pub, Turnabout Pizza and The Vault.

“Food for Thought” once again will include valuable raffles. The evening’s big winner will take home the “Chicago Sports Fan” package, which includes tickets for the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs and Notre Dame football; rounds of golf at local courses; and an autographed hockey stick from Stanley Cup Champion and Lemont native Scott Darling! Tickets are just $25 or five for $100, but the package is valued at thousands of dollars!

“Taste of Lemont” tickets and sports raffle tickets may be purchased in the PPS Office at Lemont High School from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; at Learning & Teaching Night on August 26; and at Lemont home football games on August 28 and September 11. Additionally, for the first time, the LHSEF has enabled online event ticket sales; tickets may be purchased at lhsef. bpt.me. Individuals with questions about event tickets or sports raffle tickets may contact Lindsey Kallai (lindsey.kallai@gmail.com) or Peggy Magdziarz (magdziarz@comcast.net); or “Food for Thought” co-chairs Vicki Burton (vburton46@att.net) or Brenda Douglass (bdouglass68@yahoo.com).

Students may purchase event tickets in the PPS Office, or during lunch periods from September 8-17. Students again will have an opportunity to earn Homecoming spirit points for their respective classes by showing their “Taste of Lemont” bracelets during Homecoming Week.

Last spring, the LHSEF awarded a record $65,000 in grants to aid Lemont High School’s students, faculty and staff during the 2015-16 school year. Since 2007, the LHSEF has committed to more than $300,000 in grants. A primary reason it has been able to provide that level of support is the success of the “Food for Thought” series.

Proceeds from “Food for Thought” benefit the LHSEF, whose mission is to partner with the community to make lasting improvements to Lemont High School that will enhance the total educational experience for all of its students. All gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent provided by the law.