SMTG Parish Taste 2023

August 26, 2023

WORDS OF THANKS – The Parish Taste on August 26 was a great success. What a great turn out with more than a thousand people! We thank God for giving us good weather and for all the good food! I have received many compliments about the Taste. I wish I could take all the credit but I cannot. I just helped sell raffle tickets and mostly stood around talking or helped to set up at the beginning and clean up at the end.

We are so grateful to all the people who worked so hard on the Taste. So many people donated so much: time, money, raffle items, food, and drinks! I am so grateful to all my staff for their hard work and dedication and to the many volunteers from our parish!

Special thanks to Bev Parylak, Jeanne Schneider, and Mary Krewer who helped fill and make the basket raffles look beautiful. The food booths looked great and the food tasted great. I would like to thank the following families and organization for the food booths: the Lis Family for the Polish food, Fr. Moises and his family for the Mexican food, my family and Viet Taste for the Vietnamese food, Linda Santelli and the Santelli and Vena Family, Carm DePillo, and Skip Marcucci for the Italian food, the Arenga family for the Filipino food, the Women’s Club for the pulled pork sliders, Mary Murphy and Special Religious Ed for the Irish food, Parents’ Club for hot dogs, School Board for pizza, and to the Men’s Club for staffing the bar. Bev Parylak and Michelle Doyle did a great job with Bingo. Thanks to the Scouts and those who helped with set up and clean up afterward. Thanks to Parent’s Club, Scouts, Religious Ed, Confirmation candidates and all those who helped with crafts, face painting, and games for the kids. The hospitality ladies did a great job with the Dessert booth and thanks to the parish bakers and Allegretti and Reuters Bakeries for their dessert donations!

Hugo Colin was great as Elvis and entertained us for an hour and a half. Hugo is a wonderful young man and a cantor at Mass, and he volunteered to entertain at the Taste. You can follow him on Facebook at Hugo’s Artist – Tribute Artist or go see him perform. Follow him @hugoselvista on Instagram.

We are grateful for the two $250 donations from the Elms and Belmont Funeral Homes that helped fund the prizes for the Raffle.

Raffle Winners – Nancy Mueller (1st Prize $2000), Celina Burek (2nd Prize $500), and Chris Soriano (3rd Prize $250).

I would like to thank the following other sponsors for our Parish Taste – ORT Consulting, Village Auto Body & Towing, Rich & Debbie Jankewicz, Mike & Kathy Johl and Family, Blonski Family, Santelli and Vena Family, Jamie Birmingham, and Greg Derlacki.

The Parish Taste was a terrific reflection of our parish spirit. It was a chance to see so many people get together to enjoy and have fun to end our summer. To one and to all – THANK YOU!!! May God bless you and reward you for all your good work!!!

May God bless you and your loved ones!

In prayer,
Fr. Paul Cao
Pastor of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish