First, I attend several charity events every year. Giving Spirits has by far exceeded my expectation in every respect. You will definitely want to mark your calendar for next year because this event is not to be missed. Many thanks to the Cain's Ballroom for providing the venue, it was perfect in every way.
The Giving Spirits organization did an outstanding job of creating a vibe and professional support to make the event enjoyable for everyone. They even had a seminar room for whiskey classes about the history of craft whiskey which I found very informational and the speaker was just great.
Throughout the evening a jazz band played easy to listen to music that everyone loved and it didn't overpower the conversations or activities. In fact, I found myself missing the music when they took a break or were stopped for presentations.
I also have to give great credit to whoever created the fantastic video presentations. Near the end was a real tear jerker showing people who not only benefit from the Food Bank, but according to their own statements they would be lost without it. There were also other slides showing how dramatically your donations could explode into a significant multiples of meals for seniors, children, and anyone that is hungry. I have to admit, it really touched my heart and led to many more donations than I expected to be making.
There was no shortage of whiskey to taste and as a special treat, they had four of tulsa's finest bartenders competing in a cocktail competition that I found very difficult to pick the winner. Voting was handled by a wooden coin placed in the bartender's jar of your choice. The cocktails helped break up the constant bombardment of the whiskey that was available to taste. The alcohol distributors were all present and happy to help you learn more while tasting their wares. There were plenty of pourers to prevent any backups or lines. Truly, a sensational lineup.
The food that I tried was prepared by the Food Bank's able chef and I found myself going back for some of the offerings. The flank steak with the chimichurri sauce is just something you don't normally see at the rubber chicken events. There was plenty of food and towards the end I saw a wide selection of sweets.
The auctioneer was brilliant. He really knew the order and sequence for drawing money out of the crowd and it was a pleasure to watch his techniques. Again, I found myself donating much more than I had anticipated, but how can you not want to help this amazing organization do their work?
I know this was long, but I didn't want to miss anyone. The organizers, the helpers, the vendors, the speakers, the chefs, servers, musicians all combined to create a lively and fun way to spend an evening. I was going to load up some pictures but I see that most would be redundant to what have already been posted. Do yourself a favor and get signed up to either help or enjoy this event next year. read more