Elegant Impact: Food for the Hungry’s Snowflake Gala braves snowstorm

GAMBIER — Well, one thing is for sure, Saturday’s Food for the Hungry Snowflake Gala lived up to its name.

Around 6 p.m., just as the cocktail hour started, a Level Two snow alert took effect in Knox County, blanketing the area in several inches of snow.

Yet, that didn’t keep Knox County’s finest from braving Gambier’s hills and arriving at Kenyon College’s Lowry Center dressed to the nines, ready to push FFTH past its $340,000 goal.

Despite the few absences, about 300 people still paid $100 each to attend the event. Additionally, organizers held two Fund-a-Cause live auctions, raising an estimated $65,150 towards FFTH’s total.

The first live auction asked folks to raise their paddles if they’d like to give to FFTH and the organization’s food-purchasing efforts from amounts starting at $50 and incrementally rising up to $2,000.

The second live auction used the same system, but the money raised went towards client services, such as medical bills or critical rent and bill expenses.

The money raised during the second auction still went towards FFTH’s total, but Interchurch and the Salvation Army administer the services.

As of Friday’s FFTH Live broadcast, the nonprofit had raised $260,465 and 12.5 truckloads of food. Organizers will add Saturday’s donations to the total on Tuesday.

Apart from the philanthropic part of the evening, attendees enjoyed a four-course meal courtesy of Chef Stuart Washington and the Knox County Career Center’s Culinary Arts students and entertainment from the Knox Community Jazztet.

Bruce Jacklin receives William A. Stroud Jr. Award

The William A. Stroud Jr. Award recognizes someone from the Knox County community who has displayed exemplary leadership and community service qualities.

Bruce Jacklin, local actor and director of more than 150 stage productions, received the award.

Jacklin’s resume is long. To name a few things, he served this country in the U.S. Army, taught art in Mount Vernon City Schools and Centerburg Schools for 40 years and co-founded MTVarts in 2007.

“I didn’t cure, discover or invent anything. But to be recognized for just what I do, for passion, and for bringing the community along with me, I feel grateful and I feel honored,” Jacklin said.

Jacklin said he has attended the Food for the Hungry’s Snowflake Gala since its inception and appreciates the community’s response to helping its neighbors.

“Being there for the people in need, that makes you a part of the community, and they’re a part of our community too,” Jacklin said. “So reaching out and helping people is a great responsibility.”

When all the giving wraps up, Jacklin says the community’s generosity “just speaks for itself” and doesn’t have a special trick to it.

“Everything that is collected here and gathered goes back into the community, helping the people that we know. So, it’s not being filtered through some administrator’s hands at the state level or the federal level,” Jacklin said.

“That means a lot that we’re giving, knowing that it’s going to be here for the people that need it.”

Below are photos from Food for the Hungry’s Snowflake Gala at Kenyon College’s Lowry Center on Saturday night. Credit: Jack Slemenda