The long list of non-profit organizations and the countless number children and their families who will benefit from your attendance at the annual Carmichael Kiwanis Club’s Taste of Carmichael event should be motivation enough.

But should you need further prodding, consider the fact that more than four dozen of the region’s restaurants and purveyors of fine wines and craft brews are on tap for this year’s event, and every penny raised goes right back into to the community via the Kiwanis Club’s long list of private and non-profit beneficiaries.

For $40, you can eat and drink an evening away, knowing that all that imbibing will serve to ensure, for example, that children in the San Juan Unified School District have access to performing and visual arts, as well as learning incentive programs through grants funded through Kiwanis.  Support for the event will also make it possible for parents of children admitted to the hospital to take up temporary residency in the Kiwanis Family House at UC Davis, where sliding-scale payments are made available in order to give parents in need of long-term housing an affordable alternative to hotels.

“Every dollar from we generate from the fundraiser goes to the Carmichael Kiwanis Club, which has a theme of ‘Serving the Children of the World,”’ said Linda Martin, President of Kiwanis Club of Carmichael. “We are 100 percent into service, so all the money goes to help the children in the community, whether that’s through arts programs, nature centers or donations to hospitals. It’s the community, children and families who are serviced.”

Funding also goes to support service organizations such as the Salvation Army, Loaves & Fishes, Boys Scouts of America, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American River Parkway, the Koobs Nature Area, The Red Cross of Sacramento and way too many more to list.

“A lot of people don’t know much about Kiwanis and what we do,” said Martin. “But the truth is we are one of the oldest service organizations out there providing funding for children and community programs, as well as support to many larger non-profits across the country and around the world. We do a great deal to promote and support community programs focused on providing opportunities for the betterment of children’s lives and the lives of their families.”

In fact, the Carmichael Kiwanis said Martin, is the largest club in the network of Kiwanis International, with 100 members.  Globally, Kiwanis has roughly 650,000 members in more than 80 nations and provides a combined $1 million in community funding to communities across the globe each year.

Newcomers to Taste of Carmichael this year include three from the new Milagro Centre, including Mesa Mercado, Fish Face Poke Bar and River City Brewing. Regulars will include Raleys/Bel Air and their widely anticipated seafood, wine and cheese fair, as well as Lido Café, Nothing Bundt Cakes, El Papagayo, Chocolate Fountains, Serritella’s, Terra d’Oro, Vino Noceto, Wreckless Blenders and more.

“Railey’s and Bel Air are amazing,” Martin said. “They have been one of our biggest supporters each year and I can’t say enough about how great they are.  Every year they bring out about 15 people with them, including team members from Pacific Seafood, and they do a seafood, wine and cheese booth that is just amazing.”

Sacramento’s Todd Morgan and the Emblems will be making a return appearance at Taste of Carmichael, belting out electrifying blues, rockabilly and pop originals.  Carmichael’s own Vintage Fare is also on the entertainment bill this year, bringing a nostalgic if not timely 1960s-era style repertoire of folk harmonies to the stage.  
There will also be a classic car show, a raffle and other giveaways at the event, as well as information and representation from some of the service groups served by Kiwanis. Tickets for this year’s festivities are $40.00 and may be purchased at the door or in advance.