Salt Creek Grille's Annual Fundraiser Raises $52,000 for Michael's Feat

WHAT: Salt Creek Grille Annual Wine& Martini Tasting Raises $52000!

WHERE: Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson, NJ 07760

732-933-9272 www.saltcreekgrille.com

The sold-out Salt Creek Grille’s 13th Annual Wine & Martini Tasting Fundraiser, held on April 27, raised $52,000 for Michael’s Feat in a single night. Michael’s Feat is a local charity that provides support to families carrying and caring for seriously ill newborns.

This last event brings Salt Creek Grille close to the $1 million mark of funds raised for local charities with children’s needs as their mission. To date, Salt Creek Grille has raised more than $900,000 for 13 local charities. 100 percent of the proceeds from the event go directly to the selected charity.

Salt Creek Grille’s annual fundraising event is supported by donations from Salt Creek Grille and its vendors and local businesses that provide food, wine and other services. As in past years, several wine vendors poured over one hundred premium wines to taste and specialty martinis for guests to sample. The lavish amounts of delicious offerings included an artisanal cheese table donated by Sickles Market, Little Silver, and a raw bar provided by Lusty Lobster, Highlands. The Bobby Boyd Trio entertained the event’s 150 attendees with live jazz music. A live auction with local DJ entertainer NJ 101.5 Big Joe Henry as auctioneer, raised $14,500, a substantial amount of the total raised.

Both Dana Puharic, Fund Chairperson and Michael’s mother, and Tara Cadet, Event Chairperson thanked Steve Bidgood for selecting Michael’s Feat as the beneficiary of the event. Tara eloquently shared the NICU story of her premature son, Carter, and the role that Michael’s Feat played in providing emotional and financial support that helped ease the stresses that she and her husband, Jason, were facing during that difficult time. Dana graciously explained that this help cannot be provided without the support of events like this and all of the sponsors, vendor and auction item donors.

In addition to the event, and to further public awareness about the charity’s mission, Salt Creek Grille’s co-owner Steve Bidgood flies a flag with the charity’s logo at the waterfront restaurant’s site for a whole year.

Michael's Feat was created and named in loving memory of Adam and Dana’s newborn son, Michael Gerard Puharic, who was born on July 29, 2000 and died 83 hours later due to a chromosome disorder known as Trisomy 13. The charity is dedicated to providing comfort and easing the burden for parents carrying and caring for seriously ill newborns in Monmouth and Ocean counties. To date, Michael’s Feat has helped hundreds of local families and raised over $1.6 million dollars.

Funds raised at the Salt Creek Grille Wine & Martini Tasting Fundraiser will help finance the Michael’s Feat Parent Suite at Monmouth Medical Center. Michael’s Feat has also provided and manages rooms at CentraState Medical Center and at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The rooms provide a home away from home where families can rest and be close to their newborn.

“Our community is fortunate to have so many excellent grass roots charities doing such great work,” said Bidgood, who was recently named “New Jersey’s Restaurateur of the Year 2015” by the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association. “We are honored to do our part by providing Michael’s Feat with an event to help raise funds and public awareness.”

For further information and details about Michael’s Feat, please contact Tara Cadet at 732-241-0370 or taracadet103@gmail.com.

About Michael’s Feat

The Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, Inc. is a local 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing comfort and easing the burden for parents carrying and caring for seriously ill newborns.

We supply material goods and financial support. This allows families caring for an ill preemie or newborn time to focus on what is important - caring for their child.

Michael's Feat was created in named in loving memory of Michael Gerard Puharic. Michael was born on July 29, 2000 to Adam and Dana Puharic. During the pregnancy, Dana and Adam were informed that Michael would face grave health problems resulting from a chromosome disorder known as Trisomy 13. Sadly, his life lasted only 83 hours. While he was not with us long, Michael's legacy lives on and continues to inspire hope. His brave struggle and the love and caring he brought out in people remains an amazing accomplishment. This is Michael’s “feat.”

Working with liaisons at Monmouth Medical Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center and CentraState Medical Center, Michael’s Feat connects families caring for ill infants with the services or items they need in their time of duress, such as meals and gas cards, respite for siblings staying at home and many other areas where these families need support. We also work in a liaison role with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (C.H.O.P.).

About Salt Creek Grille

For nearly two decades Salt Creek Grille has been a neighborhood fixture in Rumson, inspiring a sense of community and pride with it’s “welcome home” ambience that makes guests feel at home night after night. The ski lodge-like architecture, award-winning menu, boutique wine list and hospitable and knowledgeable staff all contribute to making Salt Creek Grille the most popular restaurant at the Jersey Shore year round. The American grill fare centers around the authentic mesquite wood-fired grill serving appetizers, gourmet dinner salads, exceptional sandwiches, Rumson’s best burgers, tender steaks, chops and chicken, fall-off-the bone ribs, fresh seafood, housemade desserts all made from scratch daily. A private dining room with panoramic views of the Navesink River is the preferred site for memorable social and corporate events for groups from 20 to 150. Salt Creek Grille is known as a leader within the industry and within its community. Co-owner Steve Bidgood was named “New Jersey’s Restaurateur of the Year 2015.”

Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson, NJ, open daily, cocktails at 4 and dinner at 5. Sunday Brunch from 11 – 2:30, lunch 1-5, dinner at 5. Midweek specials. 732.933.9272 www.saltcreekgrille.com