Extra-stellar service ruled the night on Tuesday, December 1st at Dale’s restaurant in Southaven when the RiverKings With A Cause Club (R.K.W.A.C.) hosted its annual Player Waiter Dinner charity event.
RiverKings players served fans their favorite country cooking cuisine, with everything from fried chicken and country-fried steak to meatloaf and chicken livers on the entrée list, plus all the best Southern-style vegetables on the side.
“My family and I (husband, 8 year old daughter and myself) really enjoyed ourselves,” fan Dana Moore wrote in an email to the RiverKings front office the next morning. “Every dollar we spent was all worth it because I know that the money is going to a good cause. I requested Matt Pierce to be our waiter because my daughter LOVES him. He along with all of the other players was extremely nice. Just seeing the smile on Dalaina’s face when she saw Pierce was priceless. She put the apron and the hat Pierce wore on the teddy bear she sleeps with. If you guys have never made anyone’s day, you made Dalaina’s last night.”
All tips and proceeds helped R.K.W.A.C. club selected charities: Assists for Autism, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity (House that Hockey Built), and local Breast Cancer survivor support.
The evening also featured a donation drawing for select RiverKings items, from limited-edition RiverKings logo Fossil watches and fleece blankets to RiverKings ball caps.
The players sported screen-printed black chefs’ hats and bar aprons, which will be available for purchase by silent auction at the R.K.W.A.C. club table on the DeSoto Civic Center arena concourse during home games starting Friday, Dec. 4 and ending during the Friday, Dec. 18th game.
“The club made over $525 and 50 people attended,” RiverKings Community Development Coordinator Whitley Rives said. “Event organizers told me that tips were up, which makes me grateful and happy that in these tough times our fans want to be extra generous, even though several of them are in hard circumstances themselves. It makes me proud to be associated with this team.”
R.K.W.A.C. Event Coordinator Niki Miller said the event went smoothly.
“It was great to see so many families, and everyone seemed to be laid back and really enjoying themselves,” Miller said. “It was a nice time for everyone.”
A fan-run, team-supervised club, RiverKings With A Cause raises funds for charities, gives fans opportunities to volunteer, supports the team’s charitable initiatives, and invites RiverKings players to participate in community efforts.
For more information or to join the club, call the RiverKings front office at 662.342.1755.
