Taste of Sisters draws a crowd

It was a brand-new outdoor venue at Eurosports for the third annual Taste of Sisters hosted by event organizer Karen Kassy and Brad Boyd, Eurosports owner, Friday evening.

The last of the sun's rays felt warm as the evening kicked off with special performances by students from Central Oregon Aerial Arts, while folks enjoyed choosing from a range of tempting cuisine that was donated by a variety of Sisters restaurants.

Aerial Arts lead instructor Kendall Knowles watched her five young students perform aerial silks acrobatics for over 90 patrons.

"I have been teaching aerial arts for 12 years, and it's going on one year that I have been teaching in Sisters at Sisters Athletic Club. I have students of all ages, including a Sisters Middle School student," Knowles said.

Sisters resident Linda Monahan was having her taste of Sisters with friends at one of the many picnic tables available for seating, as they listened to the music of Juju Eyeball, a Beatles cover band.

"We never went when it was inside The Belfry, and we decided last minute to go tonight," Monahan said. "We're happy that we did, and the music is great."

One hundred percent of the proceeds benefitted two nonprofit organizations. The event served as a fundraiser for Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and Furry Friends Foundation. And right before the desserts from all over Sisters were served up, Kiwanis president Dave Cox and Kiwanis member Vern Renner accepted a donation check from Brad Boyd and Karen Kassy. The gross amount was $3,160 before event expenses.

Kassy made it clear to the guests that Eurosports is a space for community activities.

"We really think of this area as a community space. We've had a wedding here, music, we even have Brad's daughter's movie here next Friday (see related story, page 18). We've also been asked if we would host a theater group, belly dance, and women's bike tire changing meetings," Kassy said. "If anyone needs a community space, let us know."

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 over 100 children in the community each month.

Furry Friends Foundation helps families keep their pets 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.