Taste of Morgantown benefits youth, restaurants and home fire victims

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Two organizations in Morgantown joined forces on Sunday to create a fundraiser to help youth and those affected by home fires.

Mylan Park and the American Red Cross hosted the Taste of Morgantown benefit at the Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center . The event showcased some of the area restaurant’s best dishes, which guests and judges got to vote on in different categories, while also raising money for the Home Fire Campaign. Money was raised by tickets purchased by those in attendance.

Representatives for the American Red Cross said that home fires are one of the most devastating things that a family can go through and that no one is ever prepared for that situation. Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Allegheny Highlands Chapter of the Central Appalachian Region of the American Red Cross Melissa Hornbeck expressed how important the fundraiser is.

“So, the Home Fire Campaign stays local within our region to help citizens throughout the state of West Virginia as well as surrounding counties who are affected by home fires,” Hornbeck said. “So, that provides needed resources as far as money or supplies or places to stay, relocation, everything to that effect.”

Assistant Director of Marketing and outreach for Mylan Park and the Event Coordinator for the Taste of Morgantown Danielle Rudash noted how the helps not only the Red Cross, but the local community.

“What is cool about this event is that all around from the organizations to the restaurants you’re supporting local, and you see a variety here,” Rudash said. “It’s all about supporting that local restaurant and maybe learning about new restaurants that you never knew of and then going a supporting them later after this event is over.”

This is the third year that the American Red Cross has partnered with Mylan Park to host the Taste of Morgantown. Some of the funds raised will also go to help the Mylan Park youth programming and all the events they host that are free to the community throughout the year.

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