"Taste of Ten" Luncheon at Verizon Center
Scores a Perfect Ten

Overwhelming Community Response Raises $15,000 for
Local Charities in Less Than an Hour

Verizon Center’s “Taste of Ten” luncheon today scored a perfect ten as over 1,500 people from the surrounding community purchased tickets within the first 40 minutes to sample up to six of the 31 restaurants on site. Tickets for the luncheon were $10 and benefited local Washington Sports & Entertainment charities.

“The community support for the luncheon today was overwhelming,” says President of Facilities Gary Handleman. “Twice the number of people we were expecting showed up at our doors within the first hour and unfortunately we ended up having to turn away upwards of 500 people in order to assure those who had bought tickets would have enough food to eat without waiting in line.”

As a result of the overwhelming success of the luncheon and the community support from the local restaurants and neighbors, Verizon Center plans to continue the luncheon for next year making it even bigger and better.

“We really want to thank all of the local restaurants and customers who participated in the luncheon today,” says Senior Vice President of Community Relations Judy Holland. “Without their help and their support we would not have been able to raise upwards of $15,000 for local charities in less than an hour’s time. Next year’s ‘Taste of Eleven’ luncheon will be even more successful.”

Local restaurants that participated in the luncheon included the following: Aramark, B. Smith’s, Bar Louie, Capital Q, Chipotle, Chop’t, Clyde’s, Coca Cola, D’Acqua, Dunkin’ Donuts, ESPN Zone, Fado, Gifford’s Ice Cream, The Greene Turtle, Hard Rock Café, Jaleo, Legal Seafoods, Levy Restaurants, Lucky Strike, Mamma Lucia, Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, McDonald’s, Morton’s, Rosa Mexicano, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Crown Food, The Source, District Chophouse & Brewery, Tony Cheng’s Seafood Restaurant and Mongolian BBQ, Zaytinya and Zola.

The “Taste of Ten” luncheon was the first of two events slated this week to cap-off the tenth anniversary season of Verizon Center. On Thursday, May 22, the second event will take place at Anacostia Senior High School from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Verizon Center employees and staff, on behalf of Abe and Irene Pollin, will be installing new lights and carpeting, and painting the school’s main office and student classroom. A previous community service day makeover took place at Spingarn High School on September 27 during the launch of the year-long anniversary campaign.