by 0-UserSubmitted | Mar 9, 2026
Leadership Raleigh and Ripe for Revival are teaming up for Savor the Flavor, an immersive culinary and community experience at 6 p.m. April 23. The dinner will bring together local chefs, live music and passionate community members for an evening that celebrates good food and raises money to address food insecurity in our region. Participating chefs include Jason Smith of Cantina 18 in Raleigh; Jake Wood of Lawrence BBQ in Cary; Rob Miller of Smash; Sera Cuni of Root Cellar in Pittsboro; Katie Featherstone of White Clover Catering in Durham; and Malik Williams of Lou Reda’s American Table in Rocky Mount. Tickets cost $135-$175. This is a 21+ event. All proceeds benefit Ripe for Revival’s Mobile Market program, which brings fresh, affordable food to communities across Wake County as well as eastern North Carolina. The event will be held at Maywood Hall & Garden, 622 Maywood Ave., Raleigh. Info: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/savor-the-flavor
by Carlee Nilphai | Dec 7, 2023 | Buzz, December 2023/January 2024
Queen’s Club latest event goes all in for local charities.
There’s no need to perfect your poker face when it comes to Queen’s Club. Win or lose, the women-only poker club is contributing to a great cause—with its latest event only upping the ante by giving back to the local community.
The group’s first annual All In Poker Tournament, Nov. 30, was structured so the first-, second- and third-place winners donated their pot to the charity of their choice. The benefiting charities included benevolent pay-what-can cafe A Place at the Table and Diaper Train, which provides access to diapers for Wake County families. By the end of the evening, the event raised a cool $14,000 pot (!).
“Our full dream finally came together through this inaugural tournament—and it was epic!” says co-founder Virgina Parker. “When you bring 70+ women together in one room to play poker with a purpose, it becomes quite the event.” And these ladies are all in.
Since 2016, Queen’s Club, boasting four clubs throughout NC, has been a safe and welcoming space for women to let their hair down and play poker—but the goal has always been beyond the deal. As a 501(c)(3) org, the club leverages the power of women through networking, connecting and playing poker to strengthen the Raleigh community—and the tournament only helps them to further that mission.
“Our intent is to host this tournament every year, along with our regular quarterly poker nights, and we would love to see the number of women coming together for their communities grow larger,” says Parker of the future of Queen’s Club. “The beauty of the women choosing their own nonprofits is it brings a very diverse collective of nonprofits to the table with the chance to win, in addition to the opportunity to be introduced for the first time to others in the club—whether that be a poker player or a dealer or a runner.”
So whether you’re a veteran poker player or just a beginner, you can bet an evening with Queen’s Club and its powerful group of women is going to make a difference. … Even if just for your poker face.
