Food: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Benefit At Hotel San Jose This Friday

While the past week's news on the oil spill has finally indicated some positive progress, the fact remains that the Gulf Of Mexico's ecosystem has been permanently altered. With millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf, the Louisiana coastline and coastal wetlands area has suffered a tremendous shock. With one-third of the US production of seafood coming from the Louisiana area, the fishing, tourism, and oil-related jobs in the region have been dramatically impacted.

One common refrain during this crisis has been helplessness: if the President couldn't fix the leak, what could a regular individual do? To help answer these questions and to begin to raise funds to assist the Gulf cleanup, Liz Lambert of Hotel San Jose, Larry McGuire of Perla's, Lou Lambert, and a host of others have organized a huge benefit Friday evening in the Jo's and Hotel San Jose spaces on Congress Avenue. While the event features food, drinks, and entertainment, it also has a sense of purpose: teaching Austinites how to help both through charitable giving and by increasing their personal energy efficiency to reduce Austin's oil dependence over time. To this end, Texas State Representative Mark Strama will be on hand to speak to all attendees about renewable energy policies in Texas, and Brandi Clark of EcoAustin will discuss local volunteer opportunities and green energy resources in the Austin metro area.

Since this event is being thrown by a chef and a hotelier, there is plenty of hospitality and fun to be had along with the education. First and foremost, McGuire has organized an optional $10/plate shrimp and crawfish boil to celebrate Louisiana's coastal cooking, with all proceeds going to the Greater New Orleans Foundation's Gulf Oil Spill Fund. There will also be performances from Louisiana native and Austin resident Papa Mali and Cajun revivalists and Grammy nominees the Lost Bayou Ramblers.

The organizers hope that the evening will result in a $30,000 donation to the Greater New Orleans Foundation, so please attend and contribute! Your optional $10 cover charge and $10 dinner can help make a difference, and get you a great dinner and night out in SoCo to boot. If you can't attend, please consider donating to the cause at the link below.

[Donate To The Gulf Restoration Network]