According to the Online Slang Dictionary (American, English and Urban Slang), the word -palooza is a suffix applied to any other term to indicate that an event is rife with that first word. So, a pastapalooza would be an all-you-can-eat-and-more event at which there is plenty of pasta – which is exactly what’s happening this Sunday at Keegan Ales: a blowout pasta dinner with a variety of sauces and accompaniments, all to benefit the Caring Hands Soup Kitchen.
The idea was conceived by Rhona Schiffres and the other folks who regularly work the kitchen, including Dave Cobey, John Brown and of course, the reverend Darlene Kelley of the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church. That’s where the Soup Kitchen is housed, where people can come (the only place they can come in Kingston) for a free hot meal five days a week and lunch on Sunday. With a mission to lift the community by providing these basic needs, Caring Hands also runs a food pantry and emergency warming center for Ulster County: no small tasks, and even though the frigid weather has passed us by, the need to keep folks well-fed is still paramount.
Thus, the entire community is invited to come to a fundraising dinner, to eat your fill of deliciously sauced pastas, all generously donated by local eateries like Little Italy, Rene’s Bistro, Stella’s, Dominick’s, Christina’s, Savona’s Trattoria, Ship to Shore, the Steel House and others including the ever-gracious Diane Reeder. A silent auction of gift cards will be held, with donations from Lekker and the Roost in Stone Ridge, the Publik House in Ellenville, J. K. Wine and Liquor, Kingston Candy, Pawprints and Whiskers, the Egg’s Nest in High Falls, Hannaford Supermarket and many more.
Schiffres emphasizes how much this community is appreciated, especially Kingston Nissan for its sponsorship of the awesome and talented deejay Van Richie from WGNY Fox’s Oldies Morning Show, who will be managing the music at Keegan’s. “We give our deepest thanks for everyone’s donations to make PastaPalooza possible. People have been very generous. All funds raised go to renovations of the kitchen and eating space – we got brand-new ovens in February! – and to buying food. No one gets turned away at Caring Hands. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible.”
Dinner includes breads, salads and desserts. Keegan Ales will provide a cash bar. Good space, good food, good cause: Be there.
PastaPalooza, Sunday, May 31, 4-7 p.m., $12, Keegan Ales, 20 St. James Street, Kingston; (845) 331-7188, www.facebook.com/caringhands.soupkitchen.3.
Join the family! 
