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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bless Her Heart Brunch raises ‘significant’ funds for local American Heart Association

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Perhaps it’s not unusual to have a Southern brunch like the one served Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Seapath Tower to a group of auction winners who bid to have a meal with renowned North Carolina humorist Celia Rivenbark.

Many restaurants will serve unique takes on Southern classics, like shrimp and grits. But it’s certainly not often that the server of a mouthwatering dish like “Bill Neal’s Shrimp and Grits from Crook’s Corner” is an accomplished eye surgeon like Dr. Laura Harris, who was one of five women who organized and served the “Bless Her Heart Brunch.”

The meal was an auction item from February’s Heart Ball, where attendees bid for the opportunity to feast on the fine meal and share time with Rivenbark while also supporting the Cape Fear American Heart Association. Director Ashley Miller would only reveal that the amount raised from the brunch was “significant.”

“I love doing these sorts of fundraisers because they’re fun, relaxing and there’s always great food and conversation,” Rivenbark said of the event. “People united in passionate support of such a worthy cause as the one today are always good company.”

The laughter from the table was consistent and boisterous. But they weren’t the only joyful sounds coming from the dining area, as the ladies preparing and serving the meal seemed every bit as entertained and joyful.

Helping Miller with the meal was Kathy Gresham, who offered her condominium at Seapath Tower as a spot to host the event. Real estate agent Diana Corbett and healthcare consultant Tracy Pope round out the fivesome cooking crew that made the event possible.

In addition to the main course of shrimp and grits, the menu also included crab stuffed puff pastry bits, dill deviled eggs, sour cream potato salad, pencil green asparagus with a goat cheese puree, pimento cheese heirloom tomato pie, cheddar cheese and chive biscuits with garlic herbed butter and key lime pie for dessert.

In talking with the ladies, Rivenbark reviewed the meal succinctly.

“I loved it in every possible way,” she said. “It was Southern perfection. This is how Southern women do.”

For Dr. Harris, the opportunity to serve the dinner took her back to her time in Washington, D.C. when she worked as a caterer serving senators and other dignitaries while studying to be a doctor. For Miller, the meal presented another opportunity to present the dangers of heart disease, the number one killer of American men and women.

“People don’t talk about it like they should. People take better care of their cars than themselves,” said Miller, who noted that heart disease often gets overlooked because people can recover quickly. “They don’t see the struggle like they do with cancer and other diseases.”

The Cape Fear American Heart Association’s next fundraiser is the Cape Fear Heart Walk on Oct. 17. The Heart Ball is the organization’s other major fundraiser, taking place on Feb. 20th.

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