Spring Tea fundraiser set for April 11

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The North County Community Food Bank Annual Spring Tea Fundraiser, a long-standing tradition in the area that has been taking place since the early 1980s, will be held this year Sat., April 11, 12:30 p.m., at the Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E. Main St., Battle Ground.

Liz Cerveny, executive director at the food bank, said this year’s Spring Tea will move away from focusing on the traditional English-style tea and will instead offer new insights into the art, culture and traditions of teas of Japan. Cerveny said this year’s Spring Tea program will begin with a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Sayo Tanne, a third generation Omotesenke instructor from Vancouver, will present the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

“The tea ceremony, called ‘chanoyu’ or ‘chado’ in Japanese, is at once an art form, a spiritual discipline, a way to socialize and a window on Japanese culture,” Cerveny said. “Practiced for more than 450 years, this unique way of sharing tea has spread around the world.”

Cerveny said there are many styles of the tea ceremony, but they typically include a formal entrance, ceremonial cleansing of the utensils, serving sweets, preparing and serving bowls of tea, and the appreciation of the tools used in the performance. Summerland Catering will oversee the Asian-themed luncheon for the event.

The upcoming Spring Tea celebration will once again feature the silent and live auctions, which always includes a wide array of items appealing to everyone. So far this year, Cerveny said the auction will offer a gas Weber barbecue grill from Morton’s Pools & Stoves, a gas patio heater from Ace Hardware, a Samsung Galaxy tablet set, a Ferrari or Lamborghini Autocross experience at the Portland International Raceway, restaurant dinner packages, getaways and much more.



Cost to attend the annual food bank Spring Tea is $45 per person or $325 for a table of eight. Registration can be completed on the North County Community Food Bank website, http://www.nccfoodbank.org/donate.html. Sponsorships at the event help defray costs so that all proceeds go directly to food purchases for the food bank. Sponsorships start at $100. Last year’s Spring Tea event helped raise more than $14,000 for the food bank.

Cerveny said the food bank needs the help of the community to continue providing services to those in need. Donations and funding so far this year have fallen and yet the client enrollment continues to grow. According to Cerveny, more than 41 percent of the food bank’s client base are children who need basic food and nutrition in order to succeed in school.

For more information about becoming a sponsor at the event, contact Cerveny at executive.director@nccfoodbank.org or call (360) 687-5007.

Monetary donations can be mailed to NCCFB, P.O. Box 2106, Battle Ground, WA 98604. The North County Community Food Bank is located at 17 NE 3rd Ave., Battle Ground.