- February 22, 2022
Loading
Mandy Franklin, Executive Director Rebecca Blitz and Mandi Kelley
Around 100 people attended the dinner.
Andy Heeren, Lori George and Tracy Johnson
Around 100 people attended the dinner.
Terri and Ron Greenbaum with Erica Wheatley
Jon Kleiber with Jaimee and Steve Gill
Ellie Blizt and Claire Van Norwich
Beth Graves and Kim Cartano
Tony and Linda Ciliberti
Susan Russell and board president Melissa Spillenkothen
Joe and Martha Murphy
Nancy and Jim Trivisonno with Amanda Lopez
Executive Director Rebecca Blitz welcomes the crowd.
Chef Jamil Pineda and Phil Mancini of Michael's on East
Mandy Franklin and Annie Klingel
Chef Jamil Pineda walks the audience through the recipe.
Aja Being and Ben Jones
Lynn Newman and Barbara Axline
The Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy put on a different sort of event on Feb. 18 — an interactive dinner led by Michael's On East culinary professionals.
The debut Stir-Up dinner brought around 100 of the nonprofits supporters to Michael's On East for an evening of conversation and cooking.
Once the cocktail hour had finished and guests sat down at their tables, Executive Director Rebecca Blitz took the stage and thanked the audience for trying a different event with the nonprofit. It was then time for the program to start.
The dinner — which was originally scheduled for a month ago — featured Chef Jamil Pineda and Phil Mancini of Michael's on East walking the audience through a four course meal of shrimp provencal, rigatoni pasta ratatouille, steak diane and bannanas foster. Guests had cooking supplies at their tables and cooked up the dishes themselves throughout the night.
The night benefited the nonprofit's horse riding and therapy programs for children and adults with special needs in Sarasota and Manatee counties.