Each tiny seed planted becomes a tree that nourishes us all.

What A Wonderful Evening!

After years of planning, pleading and perseverance, it’s a joy to report that on September 29th Whistler ROCKS served our very first community dinner at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club in Creekside.

Our ROCKStars Made It Possible

Volunteers—fondly known as ROCKStars turned out in droves to pick up, pack in, set up, check in guests, and cook alongside Head Chef Glenn.  They prepared a delicious pasta dinner, complete with veggies, beverages, and sweet treats. Some ROCKStars brought tablecloths from home, some brought flowers, and the beautiful WMSC dining room couldn’t have looked more inviting. In the spacious kitchen, the ROCKStar team worked like a fine-tuned machine. The vibe was great throughout, and the positive energy seemed to bubble over to all who attended.

So Who Was There?

We had no idea how many guests would show up for this first dinner. Thirty-eight attended—lower than the 100 we were prepared for, but not bad for our trial run. Of the 38, 5 heard of us through the Food Bank, 5 through Vail Staff Housing, 4 through the Pique, 8 through word of mouth, and 6 through the WMSC. We packed up cooked leftovers and sent them home with guests and volunteers.  We then dropped off dry pasta, sauce, spinach, cheese, bread rolls and bottles of OJ to the Food Bank, to be portioned and distributed.

With happy guests spreading the word, volunteers signing up in droves and another helpful article from the Pique, we anticipate a bigger turnout for our next scheduled dinner on October 27th.   The evening’s success and pictures has been captured on our website in perpetuity!

We Even Stayed Within Budget!

Dinners were served free to those needing it, and for a suggested $10 minimum donation to those with the means to pay. On the night of the event, we received $418 dollars in donations. The event (including overheads) cost $1,479 – only half of what it would have cost if not for generous contributions from supporting businesses and organizations. All totalled, we came close to sticking to our budget of $1,000 per event, putting us on track to achieving our goal of serving 1000 meals using the money donated by 100 Women of Whistler.

We are very grateful to all whose generosity helped make this event possible:

1. Carly and Sandy at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, who gave us our big break with the venue.

2. Alistair and Latesh from Whistler Cooks, who prepared the pasta sauce offsite and provided equipment, as well as sharing their vast catering expertise and guidance.

3. David from Slope Side Supply, who was the first to jump in and provide us with all the supplies we needed, to make it as close to zero waste as possible and compliantly clean!

4. Mike and Tina from Delish/The Grocery Store who sourced and stored the food for us.

5. Jacki and the team from Whistler Personnel Services, who sprang to hire Head Chef Glenn, ensuring the kitchen ran smoothly.

6. Aisling and Yuki from Purebread, providing sweet treats for dessert and donated goods from both their Whistler stores.

7. David from Blenz, who provided coffee to keep us all rocking.

8. Christine from Mother Made, maker of our one-of-a-kind ROCKStar aprons.

9. James from Vancouver Coast Health, who provided clear guidance around food safety.

10. Ivan from the Food Bank, who eagerly shared the event and was there to support us on the night.

If you’re in touch with any of the businesses who supported us, please express your gratitude—we truly can’t thank them enough!

Word of Mouth is Powerful – Spread the Word

We have more people all the time signing up to volunteer and to receive our newsletter, but we still need your help in spreading awareness throughout our community.  Please share this Save The Date with every local you know!

Got a Great Recipe?

Do you have a best-loved recipe for a cheap and cheerful dish for a crowd?   If so, send it to us and get some great street cred!  We’ll publish all our menus ahead of time and feature locals’ favourite recipes on our menu page.

Thanks for sharing our excitement! Please enjoy your Thanksgiving adventures.

The Whistler ROCKS team