# Emergency help needed!



## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

Just to start off, I'm not a food professional, just an avid cook.

We have experienced a tragedy in our family and my brother's 17-year-old sister-in-law was involved in a car accident and is paralyzed from the upper chest down. We are holding a raffle to raise money and the drawing will be at a party we are going to hold.

Since I am the resident cook my brother has charged me with handling food for the party. I've never cooked for a lot of people (we expect anywhere between 75 to 150 people). I have access to a big kitchen at the banquet hall and have people to help. What would you suggest I make? It doesn't have to be fancy, maybe even a sandwich platter with pasta and potato salad kind of thing. I have no idea how much food to buy per person or anything like that. Basically I am looking for any advice I can get. The party is on June 4th so I have a bit of time. Thank you in advance for your help.


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## dano1 (Oct 23, 2003)

Sorry to hear that. Lunch or dinner? What are you charging per ticket? How much of each ticket sale do you expect to take?

eta: are you charging for the food? Reread your post.


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## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

At this point it looks like $25 per ticket to get in. That will include food and beer/pop. It will be an evening event. I don't know how much of each ticket we expect to take really, whatever is left over after we recoup the costs (the hall is being donated by the American Legion so the only cost should be food and pop, beer is likely to be donated as well).


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## keeperofthegood (Oct 5, 2001)

Hey oh

That is really sad, and I too am sorry to hear of it.

Around here there are several ways that people have held "fundraisers". By far ther best was a garage sale held at a local school. The funds raised were from a combination of the table rental charged, hot dogs/sausages sold, plant sales, and doughnut sales....

Others have been less involved, simply a gagre sale at a church and a raffle. Others have been a raffle/hotdog combo where the raffle ticket entitles the holder to a hotdog/sausage and the chance to win the prize.

Yes, don't want to wind up robbin peter to pay paul here. You need to make money (on the raffle) and not spend it on the food 

Good luck.


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## keeperofthegood (Oct 5, 2001)

Hey oh, and WOW

You were quicker than I lol!

Well, watch the liquor laws. Here you need to have a permit for alcohol served at a paid event regardless if the patrons are paying for it directly or not.

What do you envision for a dinner?


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## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

I can check on the liquor laws, I'm not that worried about it though. It's not going to be an advertised event, more word of mouth.

I don't know what to make. Like I said, maybe sandwich trays and pasta and potato salad. I'm nervous about making anything too involved for large numbers of people.


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## dano1 (Oct 23, 2003)

around this area its the ubiquitous spaghetti dinner. A pasta dinner of some type would fit easily with plenty of margin for you. Pasta, garlic bread, salad, easy dessert. If the beer's donated, even better.

Are you planning plated or buffet? Do you want to go a little higher foodwise? June be prime grilling time. BBQ pork, brisket, ribs, tri-tip, etc...

Might not be a bad idea to talk to restaurants in the area also for donations. Good for them and you.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

I've done a few of these fundraisers. The key is talking to your food suppliers. Ask SYSCO.  Ask nicely.


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## keeperofthegood (Oct 5, 2001)

Hey oh

Another resource that may be willing to help would be your local cooking school. Here, our school does a lot of the fundraisers with the students doing the cooking and serving (free advertising for them really). May be a good way to get a "staff" together.


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## chef rob (Jun 27, 2004)

Hello ,
Where are you located ? If your fairly local to me I'd like to volunteer to help you cook, I'm a Chef/Caterer with over 25 years behind the stoves. Plus I have many food vendor contacts.


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## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

Thank you so much for your offer, but I'm all the way in Pittsburgh, PA.


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

So sorry to hear of this tragedy. I would say that one of the best ways to go is the spaghetti dinner. With spaghetti, you can serve hundreds on mere pennies. (Well, all most!) Deli meats and cheeses is a great idea, but I think may run a little more expensive than pasta. You certainly want to spend as little as possible on the food so you make a decent amout of money.

Sell your tickets early enough in advance that you can get a general idea of how many people to buy food for. Another great thing with spaghetti is that if you do end up with a lot of leftovers, the sauce is easily freezable for later use! But, I would certainly second the pasta dinner. One of the caterers in my town sells pasta, and strickly pasta. They are able to sell their spaghetti dinners which include pasta, meatballs, fried chicken, salad, rolls, and a veggie tray for $5 a person. Can you believe it?!?! I could certainly help you out if you choose the pasta route. Good luck to you with whatever you decide though.


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## caterwench (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm very sorry to hear about this tragedy. Check out DelGrosso's Co. in the PA area. They donate sauce and etc for spaghetti fundraisers. I believe you pay a minmal amount per head raised ( ie; 20 cents)


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## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

Thank you very much, I will give them a call.


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## walt (Apr 23, 2005)

One cover price for beer and food means a lot of beer drinking. Find what can be donated inthe way of food and go from there. People are not expecting an elegant affair. They know what the $25 is for. But they will drink a lot. I have been there. Make filling foods such as the "big sandwich"I made one 8' in length by cutting the tapered end off cheap supermarket baguettes and putting them endto end. quick, easy, filling.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Cooks the spaghatti ahead of time, take it out just before al dente, then just heat it up in boiling water when ready to serve, this will give you the quickest turn around.


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## johnrov (Oct 12, 2004)

It's been a while since I posted this and wanted to thank you all for your suggestions and give you an update. A friend of the family did the catering. She made chicken, rigatoni, cheesey potatoes, and pigs in the blanket. Then of course she refused to take payment of any kind, even for the cost of the food. The event was held in conjunction with a raffle and we raised close to $10,000.

One thing was impressive, my sister-in-law is from South Africa, it is her sister that was paralyzed, and she was amazed at how generous people are in America towards people they don't even know. It's not like that everywhere. Thank you again.


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