CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — It was an evening of great food and music that ended with a much-needed donation to a worthy cause.
‘Tastes of Travel,’ a culinary fundraiser hosted by PEI-based travel agency Stewart Travel Group last month, was a huge success, raising a grand total of $13,186 for Hospice PEI. Hosted in partnership with The Culinary Institute of Canada,’ the evening was held at The Dining Room where chefs and culinary students prepared an eight-course meal of international dishes, each representing a destination Stewart Travel Group will visit in 2022.
The course representing Scotland is served
Each delectable course was paired with an alcoholic sampling, including a single malt whiskey, several wines and a port. With each course and featured country, a video was shown, taking diners on a virtual trip across Europe and the Middle East.
The evening also included a performance by award-winning singer-songwriter Irish Mythen, who was born in Ireland and relocated to PEI in 2006. The Juno-nominated artist also surprised organizers with a donation of two house concerts that went up for bidding during a silent virtual auction, which also included an option for guests to donate when ordering off The Culinary Institute of Canada’s ‘Too Tired to Cook’ menu.
The menu for the evening
Owned and operated by Paula and Travis Stewart, Stewart Travel Group, first launched in 2014, has been supporting Hospice PEI for years. Paula has volunteered for Hospice PEI for over two decades.
“We know as a local business that non-profit organizations took a hit financially since the start of the pandemic and Hospice PEI is one of our major organizations that we love to give back to yearly,” said Travis Stewart, co-owner of Stewart Travel Group. “Hospice PEI supports all Island families in some way at some time and with Paula being a Hospice volunteer, it’s a wonderful fit. We’re blessed to be able to give back when we can.”
Nancymarie Arsenault, Director of Hospice PEI, added: “Not only has Stewart Travel Group been a regular donor throughout the years, but they also go above and beyond to fundraise and advocate for our organization. Last year they donated funds so that we could buy two tablets for our volunteers to use with clients at the Provincial Palliative Care Centre. This allowed for our volunteers to help their clients reconnect with loved ones, and to continue to support those on their end-of-life journey throughout restrictions.”
In addition to supporting Hospice PEI, Stewart Travel Group has helped raise funds for United Way of PEI, the Youth Program at Confederation Centre of the Arts, the Hillsborough Rotary Club and Camp Gencheff.
The agency is gearing. up for its week-long Jim Cuddy (of Blue Rodeo fame) Danube River cruise, scheduled for October. Originally slated for November 2020, the rescheduled cruise will include stops in Budapest, Hungary and Nuremberg, Germany, as well as an optional fundraising dinner for PEI’s Stars for Life Foundation for Autism.
For more information about its upcoming tours for 2022 go to www.stewartravelgroup.ca.
