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Local Celebrities Serve Up For Watauga Rescue Squad At 15 Local Restaurants, with 35 Local Celebrities

By Ben Wofford 

April 4, 2012. The Celebrity Serve event brought local restaurants, celebrities and patrons together in rousing support of the Watauga Rescue Squad.

Local restaurants, 15 in all, hosted the event and reported great attendance throughout the day and into the evening.

Watauga Rescue personnel were at each restaurant informing the patrons of the event. Greg Miller, assistant chief of Watauga Rescue, was at Pepper’s.

Miller said all the proceeds from the raffle, celebrity server tips and a portion of the food sales are being donated to the Watauga Rescue Squad.

A focus of the Celebrity Serve event was a four-part raffle with more than $8,000 in prizes.

Gina Howell, captain of the Watauga Rescue Squad, said more than 3,000 contestants entered the Celebrity Serve raffle.

The four winners were chosen in a drawing at the High Country Press office today.

The winner of the Orlando package was Doc Hendley; the winner of the Sports package was Sam Adams; the winner of the Outdoor Enthusiast Package was Jett Dhing; and the winner of the Asheville Package was Gail Ford.

Howell said that a grand total won’t be available until Thursday but $14,000 in raffle and tip money was deposited Wednesday morning.

A portion of the proceeds will pay for the outfitting and refurbishment of a new vehicle for the squad.

“We have recently purchased a 2005 Spartan Heavy Rescue truck from Michigan,” Howell said. “They used it for fire and we will be refurbishing it for rescue.”

Approximately 35 local celebrities served guests for lunch and dinner.

Dana Crawford, chief of the Boone Police Department, waited tables at Bandanas Barbecue.

This was Crawford’s third year participating in Celebrity Serve and he now knows a thing or two about getting the best tips.

“It’s all in keeping their glasses filled and about demeanor,” Crawford said.

Roman Gabriel III, a former Oakland Raider and the founder of Sold Ministries Youth Ministries, was on staff at Makoto’s Japanese Steak House.

Gabriel said his game plan was keeping the food away from customers clothes and to be nice to people.

For more info, check wataugarescue.org.

Video

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