When was the last time you went out to eat and had Scarlett O'Hara pour your wine or Catwoman serve you dessert?
Never has dining been as much fun as it will be at the second annual Celebrity Waiter Dinner, to be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 1 at Webster's.
The dinner is a fund-raiser to benefit the Greenwood Interfaith Ministries' Community Kitchen, and will be the kick-off to the organization's spring fund-raising campaign.
Tickets are $50 per person and are sold by the table in groups of two to eight.
The tickets will buy you and your guests a five-course meal and an evening of entertainment provided by the wait-staff, which will be made up of community members dressed up as various celebrities and characters.
Last year's costumes included Marilyn Monroe, Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, who served food when they weren't too busy singing and joking around with their tables.
This year patrons can expect to meet the Phantom of the Opera, Dorothy and the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz, Julius Caesar and more. But as for how these characters will entertain the crowd - that is a surprise.
The waiters will be competing for the most "tips," which will be in the form of additional donations or pledges of support for the Community Kitchen.
"We are asking people to come to the dinner to support the Kitchen," said Richard Beattie, fund-raising chairman. "And we also hope that it will encourage people to pledge throughout the year."
The Celebrity Waiter Dinner raised $6,700 for the Community Kitchen last year, and organizers are hoping that this year's event will bring in around $10,000.
The Community Kitchen, located at the corner of Johnson and Walthall streets, opened in December of 2003.
The Kitchen's mission is to provide a noon meal Monday through Friday to anyone who wishes to partake - no questions asked. It usually welcomes over 100 guests every day, and more than 140,000 meals have been served there since it opened.
There are only two full-time employees, executive director Carlee Bailey and kitchen manager Luvenia Smith, so all other help comes from volunteers.
In addition to Beattie, committee members for the Community Kitchen include Susan Beckham, Barbara Biggers, Susan Gregory and Toni Powers.
Outside of the organization, hundreds of volunteers have donated their time over the years. Churches, youth groups and civic organizations regularly serve at the Kitchen, as well as individuals from all ethnic and economic backgrounds.
There is no food bank at the Kitchen, but food donations are accepted, many of which come from area restaurants, and cash donations, about half of which are contributed by local churches.
"Ninety-nine percent of our support comes from within the community," explains Beattie.
Beattie himself has played a large part in the success of the organization as well.
"Richard is the heart and soul of the Celebrity Waiter Dinner," Beckham said, "The Community Kitchen owes him a huge debt of gratitude for his fund-raising efforts."
The response to the Celebrity Waiter Dinner has been overwhelming so far, but there are still tables available. For more information or to purchase tickets call Beckham at 455-9281.
Beattie says that the group plans to expand and make the event even bigger for next year.
In addition, anyone who wishes to help the Community Kitchen in other ways is always welcome to come and serve lunch or to contribute food or money.
To make a donation call Greenwood Interfaith Ministries treasurer Barbara Biggers at 453-2345.
