Mayor's Ball raises funds for nonprofits

The air buzzed with excitement on Saturday evening as Sisters folks congregated at The Belfry for the second annual Taste of Sisters & Mayor's Ball, hosted by Mayor Brad Boyd and event organizer Karen Kassy.

Dressed fun and fancy or in everyday clothes, folks mingled among friends and neighbors as they took in the aroma of the tempting cuisine that was ready for tasting.

The broad range of appetizing food was donated by a variety of Sisters restaurants.

"We were so fortunate with restaurant contributions. No matter if you were a vegan or gluten-intolerant, there is something for everyone to enjoy," said Kassy.

The event served as a fundraiser for Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and Furry Friends Foundation.

Folks grouped around tables with friends ready for fun, as local impressionist and comedian Nathan Woodworth kicked off the entertainment with his zany collection of voices from Jim Carrey to Ozzie Osbourne. The crowd roared in laughter.

Woodworth has been performing stand-up comedy as an impressionist since 2003 when he was just 12 years old, throughout the Pacific Northwest. In 2009 he made it into the Top 100 out of over 100,000 contestants on the NBC TV show "America's Got Talent."

Nearly everyone at The Belfry caught the dancing bug during the course of the evening, with Moon Mountain Ramblers entertaining folks with party-friendly rock, swing, and traditional country music.

Circle of Friends founder Duncan Campbell was having a great time cutting the rug with friends.

"The comedian was incredible and genuinely funny, and the band is very spirited and danceable! Everyone in Sisters is having a great time, and hopefully will come back next year," Campbell said.

The new Kiwanis president, Dave Cox, was on hand talking with friends, and sampling a Taste of Sisters.

"This is a great event for the community and wonderful for nonprofits. The audience seems more involved in dancing this year, it's great fun," Cox said.

After a long musical stretch, the Moon Mountain Ramblers took a break just in time for an array of delectable desserts to be sampled. Contributors to the dessert were Sisters Bakery, The Gallery, and HopNBean.

Kassy made sure everything ran smoothly.

"We've had more young people attend this year, and I hope it continues. Sisters has been so supportive in contributing to the event. The Pony Express did all the invitation printing and supplied the big check cutout, and the Kiwanis Club sent over two volunteers to help me," said Kassy. "Next year we are changing the name, Taste of Sisters & Mayor's Ball, to just Taste of Sisters. I don't want anyone to think that this is a political event."

Dan Stearns and Jodi Schneider McNamee accepted a donation check from Mayor Brad Boyd and Mayor's Ball organizer Karen Kassy, which will be split for the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and Furry Friends Foundation. The gross amount was $2,295 before event expenses.

"Since I am very heartfully involved with animals, I decided to have a combination of two-legged and four-legged, when it came to which nonprofits would receive the proceeds from this event," said Kassy.

Kiwanis volunteers maintain and staff the community food bank, which provides emergency food supply for Sisters residents at or below the poverty level. This year, Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank gave emergency food supplies to 105 children in the community each month.

The mission for Furry Friends Foundation is to help pets remain in their homes by operating a pet-food bank and providing spay/neuter sponsorships and assistance with emergency medical needs to families in financial hardship.