By Isabella Zarate
For years the Mahomet Area Youth Club (MAYC) has been hosting their annual fundraiser auction, and for about six years one of the biggest items has been a home cooked meal.
Mahomet resident, Manon Lalonde, has been cooking at volunteer events for Mahomet-Seymour schools since her eldest son was in kindergarten. Merely six years ago Lalonde decided she wanted to support the kids more. Thus, she began donating a meal for auction.
“My mother is the most giving person I have ever met,” Lalonde’s daughter shared.
“She does what she can for our community in the best way she knows how: through food. As I grew up, she would cook for all sorts of local families in need, be in charge of teacher appreciation lunches, and so much more.”
“At first, I did most of the planning and cooking by myself with my kids and husband helping out,” Lalonde explained.
Now, “ My daughter, Nicolina Di Girolamo, has always taken an interest in this event, and with each passing year, she helped more and more.”
For the last three years Di Girolamo has been Lalonde’s co-coordinator.
“She is a student in Hospitality Management at the U of I now, and it is great to see her take on more responsibility and planning with this event,” Lalonde added.
This year, MAYC asked Lalonde if she would be willing to offer two meals, Lalonde agreed.
The two dinners brought in a total of $6,200 for the club.
“When we found that out, I can remember my mom calling me crying that she was so happy,” Di Girolamo added.
“The auction for this item was very exciting,” Lalonde exclaimed. “People in this community are very generous, and we were so grateful for the opportunity to treat them to a special evening.”
This year’s dinners were composed of Italian cuisine. The multicourse meal was elegantly served in Lalonde’s yard under twinkling lights. Aside from the glorious food, Lalonde imagines the evening as a tasteful event.
Top bidders for this auction include a group of Lalonde’s neighbors, and Tom Roth.
While this event is something Lalonde looks forward to year after year, she still finds herself surprised with the amount of generosity her food brings in.
| “I still find it quite unbelievable,” she said. “It is such a privilege to be able to share my love of food and hospitality with members of our community while helping to support important after-school and other programs for MAYC.” |
