A Toast to the Triangle Touches Hundreds of Special Lives; Surplus Fare from the Fundraiser Feeds the Hungry; Three Restaurants Take ``Best in Show''.

Business Editors

A Toast to the Triangle

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2003

As the last crowds of Sunday's 18th Annual A Toast to the Triangle made their way out of Raleigh's Convention Center, a truck from the Interfaith Food Shuttle was picking up more than 400 pounds of gourmet samplings from 60 of the Triangle's finest restaurants to feed the homeless and the hungry.

On Monday the food was served to hundreds at Raleigh's Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen and The Salvation Army.

"We're always thrilled when other nonprofits contribute to the mission of hunger relief by donating surplus food so others in need across the Triangle can eat," said Jill Bullard, executive director of the Interfaith Food Shuttle.

Attendance for this year's event is estimated at more than 2,000. In its 18th year, the dollars raised by the signature event will benefit up to 430 families served by the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities. All charitable contributions to help fuel the Center's operations.

The Toast honored three restaurants with "Best in Show" awards for presentation and decoration. The winners were Daniel's Pizza Pasta Cafe, Stonewood Tavern & Grill, and LaFarm Bakery. The volunteer judges included Angela Hampton, healthcare reporter and WTVD anchor, Pam Salsby, WRAL anchor, and Lisa Sharp, a civil engineer with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Many restaurants and sponsors have participated for several years demonstrating a deep commitment to the success of this event and the mission of the Center. Keeping expenses extremely low, the Toast is primarily organized and run by a group of more than 40 volunteers, two of which are co-chairing this year's event: Dana Dorroh, Tammy Lynn Center board member and director of business development at HumanCentric Technologies and Sam DiFranco, CEO of Triangle Commercial.

Corporate sponsors include: Host Sponsor, BP Studios, plus GlaxoSmithKline, NIXdesign, DocuSource, Triangle Reprographics, Burnie Bachelor Studios, Inc., West Brothers Transfer and Storage, Inc., STS Audio Visual, Inc., Susan S. and Stephen K. Zaytoun, Bank of America, First Citizens Bank, Kerr Cares for Kids Foundation, and Morrison Engineers.

About Tammy Lynn Center:

Located in Raleigh, TLCDD offers educational, residential and family support services to children and adults with special needs. In its 34th year, the Center remains committed to providing the individuals it serves the opportunity to maximize their abilities and potential in a loving, nurturing environment. TLCDD is owned by Tammy Lynn Memorial Foundation, Inc., and is independently operated by TLC Operations, Inc. Both corporations are under the parent company Tammy Lynn Center, Inc. All organizations are 501 (c)(3) entities and contributions are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.tammylynncenter.org or www.AToastToTheTriangle.org.