More than 200 people gathered at SUNY Sullivan’s Paul Gerry Fieldhouse last week for the third annual Taste of Sullivan, where 22 local restaurants and vendors served samples of their offerings as part of a fundraiser addressing food insecurity across the county.

This year marked the first time the Liberty and Monticello Rotary Clubs combined efforts to organize the event, with Judy Siegel of the Liberty Rotary Club and Shannon Cilento of the Monticello Rotary Club serving as organizing co-chairs. The partnership expanded the event’s reach and impact, Siegel said.

Siegel added that Les Kristt helped lead a volunteer committee that included Dr. Jeff Weinstein, Gary Silverman and others.

“We combined the energy between the Liberty and Monticello Rotary clubs and made this a joint effort,” said Siegel, “It was great before, and now it’s even better—more vendors, more attendees, more money raised to help people.”

Siegel said the event drew more than 200 attendees and featured 22 vendors. She added that approximately $16,000 was raised by the event, with proceeds split between the Liberty and Monticello Rotary Clubs to address food insecurity. The Liberty Rotary Club will use its share to support a number of local organizations, while the Monticello Rotary Club will direct its portion to the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless.

The event, now in its third year, has grown steadily, with this year’s combined effort helping to bring in additional vendors and broaden outreach to attendees across multiple communities, Siegel said.

“It’s a great opportunity for restaurants to showcase what they have to offer and interact directly with the Sullivan County community,” she said.

In addition to restaurant participation, the event included involvement from SUNY Sullivan students and members of the Liberty Rotary Interact Club, the student branch of Rotary, who assisted with event operations.

Siegel described the atmosphere as energetic and community-focused, particularly as residents gathered following the winter months.

“After a long, cold winter, the community had an opportunity to come out,” she said, “The camaraderie was wonderful. It was fun for everyone.”

Siegel said demand for food assistance continues to grow locally, underscoring the importance of events like Taste of Sullivan.

“Food insecurity is an enormous problem in Sullivan County,” she said, “Being able to raise this kind of money to support those efforts is significant.”

Siegel said she expects the event to continue growing in future years.

“The momentum is going to grow every year,” she said, “It’s a win in every direction.”