Taste of Little Rock draws record crowd, raises $100,000
Photo by BENJAMIN KRAIN --04/04/19--.Taste of LR sponsors, food vendors and guests participate in the annual fund raiserTaste of Little Rock set new records this year, with nearly 800 people attending and more than $100,000 raised for student scholarships.Visitors were treated to tamales from , perfectly plated beef medallions with mashed potato from Arthur鈥檚, melt-in-your-mouth sweets from , frozen treats from and many other cuisines provided by this year鈥檚 33 vendors. served a seafood pasta that won over the crowd and earned the restaurant the 鈥淏est of Taste鈥� designation for the second year in a row.鈥淭his was by far the most highly attended Taste of Little Rock yet,鈥� said Ryan Miller, director of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association. 鈥淲e are excited that this event continues to grow and have an impact on student scholarships.鈥�The event raised just over $100,000 for student scholarships.鈥淭his event wouldn’t happen without our volunteers,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淢auri Douglass has been the longtime chair of this event, and we wouldn’t be successful without her guidance. Stephanie Caruthers stepped in to serve as co-chair, and we look forward to her leadership in the coming year. Additionally, the Alumni Board and Taste of Little Rock committee put in countless hours securing sponsors and restaurants to make the event a success, and we had more than 75 student volunteers.鈥�This year鈥檚 Taste of Little Rock paid tribute to Arkansas Heart Hospital CEO Bruce Murphy for his longtime support of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and his work to impact the health of Arkansans.Murphy, who graduated from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science, has been a longtime supporter of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Last year, he gave $800,000 to the College of Education and Health Professions. That gift helps support the Student Success Initiatives Fund, which provides academic tutoring and mentoring to students as well as a full-time social worker to assist students.On April 3, the night before Taste of the Little Rock, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock hosted a small reception honoring Dr. Murphy.Sloan Davidson, director of the nursing department, told Dr. Murphy that her students have benefited tremendously from having access to a social worker. Nursing is 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 largest major, with more than 400 students enrolled in associate degree programs and another 400 in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. 鈥淢any students have life issues, and their financial need is tremendous,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 majority are first-generation, and oftentimes they work multiple jobs to get through school to better themselves and their families.鈥�Davidson has had students who have dealt with the death of a spouse and a child.鈥淗aving resources to help them get through that and have access to mental health care makes all the difference,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his gift has been a godsend for our program and our students.鈥�The Student Success Initiatives fund includes emergency funds that have been used to help students in desperate situations.鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to help students renew their electricity and prevent them from being evicted. We鈥檝e had homeless students we鈥檝e been able to get housing for. It鈥檚 just been more than we could ever ask for, and we so appreciate it,鈥� Davidson told Dr. Murphy.Those kinds of resources often mean the difference between students dropping out of school or finishing a degree that will help them get a job with which they can support themselves and their families.鈥樷�淚t鈥檚 also adding a nurse to our community, where we currently have a nursing shortage,鈥� Davidson said. Murphy said he felt honored by his alma mater.鈥淚 believe that I have a debt to pay to for where I am,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y expectation when I began this was not that I鈥檇 be where I am today. I know it is because I was blessed by my Lord, blessed by the education I got, and I was very blessed by the people who helped me and became role models for me, who were the motivators and molders that gave me the opportunity to stay on the road and not the shoulder.鈥�
Top right photo:聽 A Taste of Little Rock attendee samples edamame quinoa salad preapred by Arkansas Heart Hospital.
Above left: 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student volunteers sample frozen treats from LePop, one of this year’s vendors at Taste of Little Rock.
Photos by Benjamin Krain
鈥淭his event wouldn’t happen without our volunteers,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淢auri Douglass has been the longtime chair of this event, and we wouldn’t be successful without her guidance. Stephanie Caruthers stepped in to serve as co-chair, and we look forward to her leadership in the coming year. Additionally, the Alumni Board and Taste of Little Rock committee put in countless hours securing sponsors and restaurants to make the event a success, and we had more than 75 student volunteers.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Taste of Little Rock paid tribute to Arkansas Heart Hospital CEO Bruce Murphy for his longtime support of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and his work to impact the health of Arkansans.
Murphy, who graduated from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science, has been a longtime supporter of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Last year, he gave $800,000 to the College of Education and Health Professions. That gift helps support the Student Success Initiatives Fund, which provides academic tutoring and mentoring to students as well as a full-time social worker to assist students.
On April 3, the night before Taste of the Little Rock, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock hosted a small reception honoring Dr. Murphy.
Sloan Davidson, director of the nursing department, told Dr. Murphy that her students have benefited tremendously from having access to a social worker.
Nursing is 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 largest major, with more than 400 students enrolled in associate degree programs and another 400 in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
鈥淢any students have life issues, and their financial need is tremendous,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 majority are first-generation, and oftentimes they work multiple jobs to get through school to better themselves and their families.鈥�
Davidson has had students who have dealt with the death of a spouse and a child.
鈥淗aving resources to help them get through that and have access to mental health care makes all the difference,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his gift has been a godsend for our program and our students.鈥�
The Student Success Initiatives fund includes emergency funds that have been used to help students in desperate situations.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to help students renew their electricity and prevent them from being evicted. We鈥檝e had homeless students we鈥檝e been able to get housing for. It鈥檚 just been more than we could ever ask for, and we so appreciate it,鈥� Davidson told Dr. Murphy.
Those kinds of resources often mean the difference between students dropping out of school or finishing a degree that will help them get a job with which they can support themselves and their families.
鈥樷�淚t鈥檚 also adding a nurse to our community, where we currently have a nursing shortage,鈥� Davidson said.
Murphy said he felt honored by his alma mater.
鈥淚 believe that I have a debt to pay to for where I am,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y expectation when I began this was not that I鈥檇 be where I am today. I know it is because I was blessed by my Lord, blessed by the education I got, and I was very blessed by the people who helped me and became role models for me, who were the motivators and molders that gave me the opportunity to stay on the road and not the shoulder.鈥�
Top right photo:聽 A Taste of Little Rock attendee samples edamame quinoa salad preapred by Arkansas Heart Hospital.
Above left: 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student volunteers sample frozen treats from LePop, one of this year’s vendors at Taste of Little Rock.
Photos by Benjamin Krain