Savor the Sound fundraiser is an immersive event for the senses

Second Annual “Savor the Sound” Fundraiser Comes to Martin City 

By Lisa Moyer

The Second Annual “Savor the Sound: An Immersive, Collaborative, and Delicious Performance Experience” is coming to Martin City  in a one-night fundraising event to showcase local talent and help youth in foster care.

Tickets are available now for this five-course dinner auction and live performance event to be held on Saturday, January 4, at 6 pm at The Martin, 13440 Holmes Rd. Now in its second year, Savor the Sound will benefit Build Trybe, a program of Cornerstones of Care, with 100 percent of the funds raised from the event helping youth in foster care learn vocational skill sets and healthy living habits to build a more prosperous community.

“This is a win-win-win event,” said Theo Bunch, manager of Build Trybe. “And it’s honestly a love project. The amount of energy put into this from the finest of KC’s artistic community is extraordinary. They’ve been working for five months to prepare for this one-night event, and it will be amazing.”

Bunch describes Savor the Sound as a “once-in-a-lifetime collaboration,” featuring: 

• Award-winning chef and Food Network star Celina Tio
• Farm-to-table chef Michael Foust of Black Sheep on 39th Street
• J.Rieger’s master bartender Andrea Scherer   
• International musical artist Calvin Arsenia
• Filmmaker John Baker, assoc. professor at the Kansas City Art Institute 
• Contortionists from Kansas City Aerial Arts

Bunch says that following the success from the first Savor the Sound in 2019 that raised $27,000 for the youth program, Chef Michael Foust and Kansas City Aerial Arts joined the collaboration. The five-course menu will be unveiled at the event and has been developed through a series of “micro-dinners” that have been open to the event’s sponsors to enjoy in preparation for the upcoming fundraiser.

Bunch says, “Chef Faust has been working with KC’s area farms to put together the delicious fresh menu, along with handcrafted cocktails by Andrea Scherer of the Hey! Hey! Club at J. Rieger. The extraordinary music and movement will be spontaneously orchestrated by the artists responding to each course, and it’s all set to the powerful filmmaking of John Baker who’s been working with the students of Cornerstones of Care, capturing beautiful imagery to showcase the newly expanded Build Trybe program and how it impacts the lives of the young people involved in our community.”

Bunch adds that Build Trybe is a mentorship community of Cornerstones of Care that builds health and independence to empower youth with employable skills. Formerly known as Healthy Living & Food Systems, Build Trybe’s mission is to help youth who lack a stable support system by connecting them to skill-based career opportunities in culinary, construction and horticulture fields.

Bunch says that approximately 30-40 students are currently enrolled in the program, and that students and instructors will be integral to the Savor the Sound event. They will act as servers, and many of their custom projects in woodworking, metals and other media will be featured in a silent auction. They also helped to build the lighted stage for the event. Seats are first come, first serve with cocktail attire suggested. Sponsorships and tickets begin at $150 for one seat to $5,000 for eight seats and can be purchased at savorthesoundkc.com. For more information on the organization, contact theodore.bunch@cornerstonesofcare.org.