Whet Your Appetite! Salvation Army of Cortland’s Hosts “Guest Chef Dinner Series” Monthly Fundraiser

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Matt Brooks here on X101 Always Classic, and with me in the studio, Major Corinne Hayes from the Salvation Army in Cortland. We’ll be talking about the Guest Chef Dinner series, which started earlier this month in May, and goes on monthly through October. Now, first off, Corrine, thank you for joining me this morning.

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Thank you, Matt. 

Matt Brooks: All right, well, first off, can you tell me about the Guest Chef Dinner series? 

Maj. Corinne Hayes: I sure can. It’s something that I started when I was with the Salvation Army in Oswego, New York, and they’ve been doing it, I think for 12 years now. Um, we invite different restaurants in town to come to the Salvation Army.

Um, they can either cook in our kitchen or cook in their own kitchen and bring it over, and we’re providing, um, to go containers. And so the restaurants or the, the advisory board is on board with this, and they will serve up the dinner into the containers as people, um, show up. [00:01:00] And it’s so far it’s been an exciting start.

Gators was our first dinner and people really have enjoyed it. 

Matt Brooks: Yeah, so it’s more of a catering event. You’re not going to the restaurant itself, you’re going to the Salvation Army for the event. 

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Yes, correct. 

Matt Brooks: Now proceeds, this is a fundraiser, um, from fundraisers, maybe not just the Guest Chef Dinner series, but if, I mean people are, uh, familiar with the, uh, the Red Bell Ringing, uh, during the holidays, uh, where do these proceeds go and are there any programs in specific that they help benefit? 

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Sure, yeah. The kettle’s obviously very familiar site in December and um, the Guest Chef Dinner as well as the kettles. All the money raised stays in Cortland. That’s very important to know in Cortland County.

It goes to serve Cortland County residents and this is gonna mainly go towards our food pantry and our soup kitchen because come the summer months, it’s a bit, [00:02:00] it gets a little dry and the budget gets a little lean. So this is gonna help us at this end of the year. 

Matt Brooks: Yeah, because again, this, uh, series actually goes all the way through the summer and into October.

Speaking of these monthly events. June 3rd, the guest chef will be Crisol 607. How can people, uh, that are interested, participate? 

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Well, they just show up between 4:30 and 6. Um, and if they haven’t gotten their tickets online, they can pay at the door. And for June’s dinner, we’ll be providing utensils as well, because the Dairy Parade starts at 6:30, so we’re gonna be telling people, come get your dinner and bring it And wa- eat it while you’re watching the parade. 

Matt Brooks: It’s good thinking ahead. That way people don’t have to choose between, well, two great events going on, right? And again, you’re going to the Salvation Army. You’re not going to Crisol 607 to get your dinner. Um, this is an event that is at the Salvation Army.

Now we are, uh, running a little bit outta time [00:03:00] Corrine, but going beyond the Guest Chef Dinner series, which again, monthly through October. If people are looking for more information on that, wanna get tickets or wanna get involved with the Salvation Army, such a great organization that helps those locally, where should they go?

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Well, for tickets you can find online on our Facebook page, the Salvation Army of Cortland. Or you can call our office, (607) 753-9363. 

Matt Brooks: Oh, perfect. Thank you for, uh, joining me again this morning, Corinne, and I hope that it’s, uh, hopefully it’s successful, eventful, but not too stressful for the next number of months.

Maj. Corinne Hayes: Thank you very much, Matt.