The 23rd Annual
The Taste of the South Shore

Last night’s 23rd annual The Taste of the South Shore, the region’s premier tasting and social event to benefit the South Shore YMCA, was livelier and more impactful than ever.

Our friends at Lombardo’s captured the joy of springtime inside the ballroom to lend the perfect backdrop for 35 of the area’s finest chefs, restaurants, distilleries, wineries, breweries and bakeries to tantalize the taste buds of over 700 guests.

KEEL Vodka welcomed attendees upon arrival with a signature cocktail to enjoy as they perused and bid upon silent auction items while sampling the finest food and drink the South Shore has to offer. JP Fuji Group won over the crowd for the second year in a row, taking home the honor of the night’s People’s Choice Award.

As the highlight of the evening, Paul Gorman, President & CEO of the South Shore YMCA, unveiled Staystrong, the organization’s new collaborative, community-based cancer support program, and urged the crowd to help the YMCA raise funds to build this life changing initiative with the help of auctioneer and emcee, Candy O’Terry.

“It is our hope that with Staystrong at the Y, we can help thousands of people on the South Shore to overcome the obstacles they face throughout cancer treatment and recovery and reclaim their lives with renewed hope and strength in spirit, mind and body,” said Gorman.

Staystrong is a bold new program that provides essential daily living support to cancer patients, survivors, their household family members and caregivers. The program includes a free year of household membership to the South Shore YMCA for the survivor. Other benefits include a free week of summer day camp for children whose parents are going through cancer treatment; nutritional, educational and spiritual community programs; free drop-in babysitting at the Y’s vibrant playrooms to help parents manage medical appointments and treatments…and much more.

Dan DeMarco, a partner at Campanelli Companies and a member of the South Shore YMCA Executive Board shared his own fight with cancer during the President’s Club Reception where over 150 of the Y’s top donors and supporters gathered to start the evening.

“Today is my birthday. This birthday has real special meaning for me because feels like a milestone. When I was diagnosed, I thought, ‘I’m a positive person. I’ll get through this.’ What I realized is, you can’t get through this on your own. You depend on people around you. I was fortunate I had people around me. If you don’t have that, you need a place to go find it. Through the Staystrong program it can wrap its arms around people and provide the resources they and their caregivers need to carry on.”

Breast cancer survivor Stacey Hugues shared her story of survival and encouraged others to get involved. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer it was difficult for me and my family, but there was one common theme: Everybody wanted to help, but they didn’t always know how to help. I love this program and that we get to build it together. The way you can help people who have been affected by cancer is to support this program.”

Thanks to the generous support of our South Shore YMCA community and guests of the 2019 Taste of the South Shore, the Y raised $383,500 to build and grow the Staystrong program.

We are extremely grateful to our sponsors for making this possible, and for our participating restaurants, bakeries, distilleries, wineries and breweries who all came together to donate their time and talent to this amazing cause.

To get involved in Staystrong as a participant or volunteer, or to donate the essential funds needed to help as many cancer survivors as possible, please visit ssymca.org/staystrong.