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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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What a delight: Having a ball for good causes

At right: Denise Christy is served a spoon of celery root mash at the Max at Mirabeau table by Dennis Manley, the Food and Beverage Director at the Maribeau Park Hotel, during the Epicurean Delight Gala last month. The Max at Mirabeau also served Chilean Sea Bass, crispy organic yellow beet and, for dessert, a bananas foster cheesecake. (The Spokesman-Review)
The Spokesman-Review
At right: Denise Christy is served a spoon of celery root mash at the Max at Mirabeau table by Dennis Manley, the Food and Beverage Director at the Maribeau Park Hotel, during the Epicurean Delight Gala last month. The Max at Mirabeau also served Chilean Sea Bass, crispy organic yellow beet and, for dessert, a bananas foster cheesecake. (The Spokesman-Review)

W ith the advent of the holiday season, there’s a lot of partying going on around town. But wonderful things have been happening for weeks now.

Belles of the ball

In late Octover, on the night of the annual Pumpkin Ball, the newly re-done ballroom at the Spokane Convention Center was transformed into a page from a fairy tale.

As the annual fundraiser to benefit both Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, the Pumpkin Ball has become a popular social and philanthropic event.

At this year’s ball, more than 600 men and women, dressed in their black tie and evening gown best, bid on fine wine at the Grape Escape wine auction and assorted items in the silent auction. Later teams of physicians and local business leaders competed as they joined creative forces in the evening’s pumpkin carving contest.

A gourmet meal, prepared around a harvest theme, included tender beef filets dressed with pumpkin mashed potatoes and for dessert a rich pumpkin cheesecake.

After dinner, partygoers were introduced to two families that had been helped by both the children’s hospital and the crisis nursery.

Dancing to tunes by Stagecoach West followed.

Another successful, and elegant, night was over.

A delightful evening

Epicurean Delight has been giving people in Spokane a reason to get all dressed up for more than 25 years. And this year’s event on the first weekend in November was a stand out.

Also held in the ballroom at the Spokane Convention Center, cocktails were served around the chic ice bar in the lobby and hors d’oeuvres were provided by Saunders Cheese Market.

Honorary chairs of this year’s event, C. Harold Mielke Jr., M.D., and Marcia Mielke, welcomed guests to the gala which benefited the Inland Northwest Blood Center National Marrow Donor Program.

More than 1,000 people, dressed to the nines, sipped regional wines and filled their plates with the signature dishes of local chefs. Delicacies included menu items as varied as Shrimp Leopauldo from Beverly’s at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Organic Roasted Pork with Chocolate Barbecue Sauce from Latah Bistro and Acacia Honey and Saffron Pot de Crème from Wild Sage American Bistro.

The evening’s entertainment, with Master of Ceremonies KREM meteorologist Tom Sherry, ended with an award ceremony naming the event’s best food. Max at Mirabeau garnered the People’s Choice Award for the Mediterranean Sea Bass entree.

Music by Serenade led partygoers to the dance floor and the night took on a festive tone.

The Pumpkin Ball and Epicurean Delight both highlight how much fun it can be to do good while having a good time.

And a good time was had by all.