Monday September 21, 2015 11:49 AM
Johnstown community members can help those in need while sampling wines and cheeses, Saturday, Sept. 26, at the third annual charity wine tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. at the home of John and Ann Lodder, 1238 S. Watkins Road, Alexandria.
Proceeds will benefit the Johnstown-Northridge Community Food Pantry, an organization close to the heart of Mrs. Lodder, the event’s organizer and founder.
“I knew there was a need for help at the food pantry and we wanted to find a unique way to give back,” Lodder said. “It was really a grassroots effort and when the first one in 2013 went so well, we kept doing it.”
The event is like a mature food drive, she said.
“It’s a way for adults who can’t physically be at the food pantry to give back and support the community,” Lodder said. “There’s still a lot of hungry people in Johnstown and the Northridge area.”
Tickets include eight, 1-ounce pours of wine and plenty of food, hand-picked by Lodder.
“We try to offer a variety of wines, usually four reds and four whites, both dry and sweet,” she said. “We also make sure no one leaves hungry.”
Lodder said she hopes to feature a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, moscato, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and a dessert wine.
Once the wine selections are finalized, Lodder researches and chooses cheeses, spices and pasta to pair with the wines.
“We are just regular people who enjoy sharing wine with others and want to give back to the community,” she said.
“We’re not the Wexners or anything, but we’ve always felt blessed to have spent 20 years doing what we love in landscaping.”
The Lodders own Lodder Landscaping, 1238 S. Watkins Road in Alexandria.
In years past, about 25-30 community members have come out and Lodder said she hopes more people from Johnstown and Alexandria come out.
At the wine tasting, there will also be a live auction of items donated from Wyandotte Winery, Lodder Landscaping and other local businesses.
Tickets to the wine tasting are $25 and Lodder recommended people buy tickets ahead of time.
Checks can be made payable to Johnstown-Northridge Food Pantry.
For more information, to donate an auction item or to buy tickets, call 740-924-2086.
Debbie Gillum Wakefield 