Global foods, cultures savored at Rotary international dinner

Local News

February 14, 2009

By Bill Robinson The Richmond Register Sat Feb 14, 2009, 09:28 PM EST

Cultures and tastes may differ around the world, but food, music and dance have a way of bridging differences and bringing people together.

That was the case Friday night as the Richmond and Bluegrass Rotary clubs hosted their sixth annual International Dinner at Richmond’s East Side Baptist Church. Proceeds benefited the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center Foundation.

The 150 guests got to sample food from 13 countries as dances and music from several cultures were performed.

Chinese dancers taught by Cheryl Pan of Lexington were dressed in colorful costumes as they performed ceremonial dances of China’s various regions. Bernese Abner of Berea demonstrated Mediterranean dance, and the Richard McHargue Cloggers kicked their heels and tapped their toes to the rhythms of Appalachia.

Venezuela native Pedro Castillo, who has lived in Richmond since the 1960s, was dressed in a cream-white suit and hat as he strummed a cuatro guitar and sang songs of his native land.

Made of native woods, the small cuatro instrument is extremely light weight.

The Clark-Moores Middle School band, directed by Carla Smith, performed music by Italian, Russian, Spanish, French, American and Latin American composers.

Ayesha Akhtar, wife of Richmond physician Rizwan Akhtar, served a zucchini and lentil dish that is popular in her native Pakistan.

Since coming to Richmond nearly 11 years ago, she has participated in international fairs at Model Laboratory School, which her children attend, but Akhtar said this was her first time to participate in the annual Rotary event.

“I’ve really enjoyed this evening,” she said. “This a great way to meet people in the community. I hope we can participate again next year.”

When they first arrived in Richmond, Akhtar said she and her husband were unsure how long they would remain.

“We have enjoyed living here, and our children love attending Model,” she said. “When I asked them if they wanted to move to Lexington so they could attend school there, they said, ‘no.’ They wanted to stay in Richmond and go to Model.”

Rotarian Rusty Rechenbach, pastor of White Oak Pond Church, served five Guatemalan items he had prepared.

Rechenbach said he goes to Guatemala every year to visit friends who operate a hotel there.

His five servings included a hot fruit punch, a chilled rice milk and cinnamon drink and a spicy chicken dish made with tomateillos, a green tomato, and a radish salad.

Marilyn Nash served French onion soup. Nash said she lived for eight years in France, while her father was assigned by his employer, General Electric. She attended her first eight years of school there, attending English language classes in America for the first time as a high school student.

Three Richmond international restaurants, Thai Smile, China King and Casa Café each served a dish.

Other countries represented by foods included Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Russia, Scotland and Thailand.

Rotarian Dwight McMullin, who organized the event, served cheese grits to represent the United States.

While Rotary, an international organization with clubs in more than 130 countries, sponsors many international exchanges, not every club hosts an international dinner, McMullin said.

He organized Richmond Rotary’s first international dinner after learning about the popularity of the Somerset Rotary Club’s international dinners.

“An international dinner to benefit the Pattie A. Clay Medical Center Foundation is good way to foster the Rotary ideals of community service and building friendships,” he said.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 6702.

Text Only

Local News

‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.

Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).

Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School.

May 27, 2012 5 Photos
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year.

May 27, 2012 1 Photo
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report.

May 27, 2012
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.

May 27, 2012 1 Photo
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
May 26, 2012
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level.

May 26, 2012
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment.

May 26, 2012
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Global foods, cultures savored at Rotary international dinner

A recent health ranking listed Madison County as the 20th healthiest county in the state. It measured factors such as exercise, access to health care and smoking. Do you smoke cigarettes?

Site Map