Apr 4, 2022
Nicholas Newman and his wife Casey served food from Switzerland at the 16th annual International Dinner hosted by the Marietta Morning Rotary Club Saturday. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
MARIETTA — The 16th annual International Dinner hosted by the Marietta Morning Rotary Club was a huge success Saturday.
The event was hosted at the Marietta Shriners Club. Guests were able to enjoy food from around the world and purchase different items in the World Bazaar silent auction, all while benefiting literacy projects within Washington County.
There were over 10 different countries represented at the food portion of the event, but the World Bazaar held items donated by community members with ties to many others.
Community members who are from other countries or first generation family members set up tables with authentic cultural dishes for guests to try. One example being Nicholas Newman (attending with his wife Casey) who is from Switzerland.
Newman had his table decorated with cows, his country’s flag and he and his wife were dressed in traditional outfits.
Guests were able to purchase different items in the World Bazaar silent auction. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
“Switzerland is very mountainous, so there were not a lot of crops that could be grown there, hence the significance of the cows at the table,” he said.
The Brown Swiss, cattle breed is native to Switzerland, and Newman explained that many traditional meals revolve around beef and cheese.
“I did not prepare any cow tongue for tonight, however that is a popular and delicious meal,” he said.
He did prepare zopf (a swiss sweet bread), Schinkegipheli (a cheese, ham and mustard croissant) and gurkasalat (a cucumber salad).
“I am glad to see so many of the countries being represented,” said Christy Burke, President of the club.
The 16th annual International Dinner hosted by the Marietta Morning Rotary Club was a huge success Saturday. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
This event was started by and continues to be organized by club member Khadine Ritter, who is from Panama.
She wore a pollera de gala that was once her mother’s, paired with a Tembleque (a headdress) and peinetas (decorative jewelry).
“The dress is very expensive (thousands of dollars can be spent for a complete outfit), so each family normally has only one,” she said.
The dress is handmade and every stitch is a different design.
According to Ritter, all proceeds go to providing all area third graders with a dictionary, help fund and continue to help stock the Boys and Girls Club Reading Room and helps to fund the Summer Reading camp at Marietta College.
Celtic tunes were played for guests to enjoy while traveling from table to table. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
“We have several new countries this year, which is a welcomed edition to the event,” said Ritter.
After visiting Ritter in Panama, attendees could travel to Thailand, where friends Nerachar Homnium and JeaJun Kongsap Carver had prepared some steamed rice and creamed chicken, hot basil stir-fried pork served with rice and coconut milk Pad Thai.
Other countries represented included India, Belgium, Sweden, England, Russia, Guatemala and Palestine.
Many families wore traditional garbs, brought in heirlooms and told stories of their homes to those interested in learning.
One event chef Ana Staudt, is 18 and has spent the past year in culinary school learning to cook different meals tied to her Guatemalan heritage.
Nerachar Homnium, who is from Thailand, helped serve some steamed rice and creamed chicken, hot basil stir-fried pork served with rice and coconut milk Pad Thai. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
Staudt was adopted at a young age, and wanted to reconnect to her roots.
“We actually reached out to a former foster family that housed me when I was a baby and they were able to track my birth mother down,” she said. “Now we (Staudt and her adoptive family) are set to go visit her for the first time later this year.”
The club is always looking for new members to join at anytime and said they do not have to be Marietta residents.
The Marietta Morning Rotary Club was chartered on September 30, 1991 with 33 members. As a humanitarian service organization, it is focused on fulfilling community needs here in Marietta, Washington County, the Mid-Ohio Valley and on the international level as well.
The programs are both local and far-reaching, and encompass a wide variety of local concerns such as hunger, health, economic development, youth development and education.
A board was put up at the international dinner, that showed some of the way Rotary International is impacting other countries. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
The objectives are to advance the interests of Marietta and the Mid Ohio Valley area, to stay informed about local, national and international political, economic and social issues, and to serve the community, including:
* Connections to leaders throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley
* Prestige of membership in a worldwide organization
* Ongoing practical education
* Higher ethical standards in your business, organization, profession or personal life
* Participation in projects to enhance Marietta, Washington County and the entire Mid-Ohio Valley area.
The Marietta Morning Rotary Club is a group of about 40 men and women from business, industry, education and professional vocations. They meet at Jeremiah’s Coffee House, 175 Front St. in downtown Marietta every Friday at 7 a.m. for breakfast and fellowship.
The mailing address is: Marietta Morning Club, P.O. Box 206, Marietta, OH 45750
Rotary Clubs are organized into districts and the Marietta Morning Club’s District is 6690. For more information on our district, go here: www.district6690.org
Madeline Scarborough can be reached at [email protected]
A display was put up at the international dinner, that showed some of the way Rotary International is impacting other countries. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
MARIETTA — Five people were arrested Thursday on drug charges after a drug bust at a Marietta residence. Agents …
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
Copyright © News and Sentinel | https://www.newsandsentinel.com | 519 Juliana St., Parkersburg, WV 26101 | 304-485-1891 | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company
