Rotary Club's 20th Taste of Lake Mary Returns March 30 to Benefit Local Charities

The Rotary Club of Lake Mary has poured more than $625,000 into Seminole County charities over 19 years of Taste of Lake Mary fundraisers, and tonight's 20th edition opens at 5:30 p.m. at Park Place at Heathrow with event chair Michelle Koch at the helm, a sell-out crowd of 500 expected, and a $10,000 reverse raffle headlining an evening of tastings from more than two dozen local restaurants.

Every dollar raised cycles back into Seminole County nonprofits through Rotary-supported programs targeting youth scholarships, basic education and literacy, and local food insecurity. The event, which launched in the spring of 2006 and is presented this year by Orlando Health, ranks as a signature community fundraiser on the Seminole County Chamber's calendar, drawing business leaders, civic volunteers, and families to the courtyard adjacent to the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary each spring.

All-inclusive tickets give attendees unlimited samples of signature dishes, beverages, and desserts from local restaurants, caterers, and beverage purveyors. Live music, a silent auction, and the reverse raffle run throughout the 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. window, giving guests multiple ways to extend their charitable contribution beyond the cost of entry.

For the restaurants and caterers staffing tasting stations, the format delivers direct exposure to 500-plus community members in a single evening, a rare platform in a crowded spring fundraising calendar. The 20th anniversary represents a sustained record: the event has grown in giving each year since 2006, and the $625,000 cumulative total does not yet include tonight's proceeds.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at 1501 International Parkway, with on-site parking available at the Park Place at Heathrow complex. Tickets are sold in single and couple options through the Rotary Club's event page; the event has sold out in prior years, and organizers consistently recommend purchasing in advance rather than arriving at the door. Those unable to attend can support the charitable mission through sponsorship or volunteer opportunities listed on the club's website, or by contacting event chair Michelle Koch directly at 407-603-1143.