Night of a Hundred Dinners Returns — and Needs You!

Need a good reason to host a party? Don't miss out on the fun... 

The is coming up on Saturday, March 3, 2012. As a dinner host or attendee, you'll join friends and neighbors all over Maplewood and South Orange in promoting exemplary public education in our community. Whether you choose a casual gathering or an elaborate event, you'll be helping to fund teacher and administrator grants, the Achieve volunteer tutoring program, the restoration of the Columbia High School auditorium, family support initiatives and more. 

Last year's events saw about 1000 guests attending parties in Maplewood and South Orange. Parties ranged from intimate to open house, traditional or themed.

“One of the new parties that has come in is a Girls Night Out, which is an interesting twist,” notes Neri. The range of themes is impressive. From Motown to Mardi Gras to murder mystery, the party themes were creative and personal.

Jay and Rachel Tall co-hosted last year with in-laws Patty and Steve Coleman, and doing  so with a flourish. Each annual dinner is a tasting menu of at least eight courses with a new theme each year. Their third year, for example, saw a presentation of a single food, including duck, zucchini, and chocolate, served three ways on one plate.

Work? Undoubtedly, but Jay Tall explains. “We do it year after year because we enjoy this night with community people and friends and we all have kids who benefited from what Achieve does.”

Guests were guilty at the dinner Sheryl Eccles planned. Co-hosting with Tsipi Kaplan, Eccles turned her home into a casino for the night, as guests participated in a “Murder in Sin City” meal. She explains that, “the ‘crime’ took place in a casino and each of the 16 guests was  assigned a character for the evening."

“It’s a wonderful way to support our schools,” says Neri. “And you join your neighbors out for a night. What more could you want?”

This year's goal is 40 parties and 400 guests to raise $40,000 for students and educators in the district.

To learn more, please contact Eileen Neri at ecneri@verizon.net or 973.763.6244

To get a taste of the festivities, browse our photos from last year and start planning for local fun.