Choctaw eatery's owner contributes food for benefit

Since 1976, Old Germany Restaurant in Choctaw has been serving up tasty German fare. This year, Mike Turek will again put on his apron and head to Oklahoma City to help raise funds for Big Brother Big Sisters of Oklahoma by providing some of his signature food for the group's yearly event.

"It's such a great cause, how could I turn them down?" Turek said.

He has participated in the event for the last six years.

The event is in its 32nd year, and benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters, to provide mentors and friends to vulnerable children in the state through a professionally supported relationship to help improve the lives of those children. The group reports in 2009, it served approximately 2,500 children, 500 of those in the Oklahoma City-metro area.

This year's event will be at 7 p.m. July 31 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. It will feature food from more than 25 local restaurants including Old Germany, 10 North Grill, BlueFire Grille, Cupcakes to Go Go, Deep Fork Grill, Elephant Bar, James E. McNellie's Public House, Jazmo's Bourbon Street Café, Manhattan Restaurant & Bar, Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse, Nonna's, Park Avenue Grill, Paseo Grill, Pearl's, Prohibition Room, Rococo, Sage Gourmet Café, The Melting Pot, Café Nova and The Ranch Steakhouse.

BENEFICIAL BUFFET
To sample Turek's German food and food from the other participating restaurants, tickets are $100. Dress for the event is summer cocktail attire, and all proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Old Germany will provide boneless pork loin in peppercorn cream sauce, red cabbage, mixed Bratwursts and German potato salad, Turek said.
Turek also helps out other organizations by regularly donating food for the Lymphoma Society event, Taste for Sight and Prevent Blindness, the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association, and the Henry Iba Hoopla for the Parkinson's Society.

In addition to food, drinks and dancing, a silent auction at the Big Brothers Big Sisters event will feature home makeover packages and personal makeover packages. Some highlighted items in the silent auction will include an African safari hunting trip, dinners for 20 and a vacation package for Jackson Hole, Wyo. A "wine pull" and "restaurant gift card pull" will ensure everyone takes home a prize.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.tasteokc.com or by calling 943-8075. "Kelley Chambers

photo Old Germany's Mike Turek. photo/Kelley Chambers