2008 Taste A Ball ... For All

Between a potpourri of delectable food and beverage selections, a silent auction featuring some terrific prizes, a live program/auction and a round of Timberwolves Family Feud, the 2008 Taste of the Timberwolves was truly a ball ... For all.

Over the past 12 years, Taste has raised over $2.5 million dollars for the FastBreak Foundation, whose funds go directly back into the community through the guise of programming and events that impact Minnesota youth and families. That - not the food or the fun - is the point of Taste.

And, by the end of the night, 2008 Taste had garnered the largest donation in the history of the event.

"We as an organization place a huge priority on giving back to our community, and Taste has long served as an excellent catalyst towards that end," said Wolves CEO Rob Moor. "We really want to emphasize how much we appreciate our many friends who joined us on Monday night. Without their generous support, the FastBreak Foundation could not continue to grow its positive impact on our community."

"Tonight's event was the most successful Taste of the Timberwolves in recent history," added community relations manager Sarah Barthol. "We are so excited and thankful to have had generous guests and a hard-working staff to make the event turn out so well for the Foundation."

Opening Act: Taste-ing
Ravioli Di Zuca, anybody? How about a lobster Daikon roll with rosemary ginger vinaigrette? Care for a rice krispy treat dipped in a milk chocolate or white chocolate fountain?

Thanks to the generosity of some of the Twin Cities' best restaurants, Taste-goers were privy to a delicious menu of fare that was enjoyed as guests meandered about Target Center's main floor. With booths spread around the exterior, each and every Timberwolves player and coach rotated about the stations to help serve the guests. Members of the Timberwolves Dancers were also on hand to chat and take pictures, while players also took photographs and signed autographs. At the same time, those present had a chance to view and bid on some terrific silent auction items displayed in the middle of the floor.

But what about the food? Try this menu:

- Bellanotte: Ravioli Di Zuca
- Buca di Beppo: Sauteed Chicken Breasts Topped with Delicate Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers, along with Tiramisu
- Chambers Kitchen: Lobster Daikon Roll with Rosemary Ginger Vinaigrette, and Kulfi with Chocolate Covered Banana and Caramel Corn
- A Chef's Production: Chipotle Turkey Wraps and Carrot Cake
- FireLake Grill House: Porter Braised Buffalo Pot Roast Sliders with Caramelized Onion and Thyme Pan Juices
- The Melting Pot: Milk Chocolate Fountain with Strawberries, Pineapple, Mango, Pretzels and Rice Krispy Treats
- Palomino: Grilled Tiger Prawn with Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto
- r. Normans: Roquefort Steak Tips
- The View Restaurant: Asian Chicken Skewers and Italian Tomato Mozzarella Skewers

Wolves forward Craig Smith said he was partial to the steak tips, while Ryan Gomes said he'd sampled and enjoyed just about everything. That's the correct move, Mr. Gomes.

Plus, the beverages:

- Anheuser-Busch: Beer tasting
- Bacardi: Bacardi Limon Mojito
- Caribou Coffee: Lattes and Cappuccinos; Depth Charge - black coffee with an expresso shot
- Domace Vino: Wine sampling
- Pepsi: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Aquafina, Life Water

While the players stuck primarily to Aquafina and Life Water, several guests mentioned the tasty Mojitos and the fine selection of wine.

Silent Auction
Featuring a bevy of cool items and experiences, the Taste silent auction went from 6:00-7:45 p.m., and at first count raised several thousand dollars for the FastBreak Foundation. Items included signed jerseys, photos and game-worn shoes from Wolves players; Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson autographed basketballs; Adrian Peterson autographed football and Justin Morneau autographed baseball; a round of golf with Fred Hoiberg and a Wolves player; and even a Harley Davidson Sportster 833 motorcycle.

"This stuff is pretty cool, except for that picture of (Ryan) Gomes," joked Wolves rookie center Chris Richard. "I wouldn't put that on my wall if they gave it to me."

"Oh come on, this is the 8th wonder of the world," responded Gomes, in reference to his jersey number. "It's tight."

Coupled with several other items, a prize wheel ($40 a spin for a minimum $50 prize) and photo booth ($25 for a picture with Wolves players and/or dancers), the silent auction period was extremely successful.

Live Program and Auction
Wolves broadcaster Tom Hanneman introduced a video that showcased all of the wonderful things accomplished by the FastBreak Foundation in the community. On a massive screen hanging from the ceiling, Taste-goers watched video highlights of the Timberwolves' year in the community. Indeed, each month of the season, the Foundation takes a different focus: from children in the Twin Cities to military heroes; to families in need and Minnesota youth suffering from terminal or long-term illness; to honoring individuals who have impacted black history; to spreading the importance of reading, and finally, appreciating fans.

Afterwards, Wolves PA announcer and professional auctioneer Rod Johnson - you know the booming, pure voice heard over the loudspeakers at home games - took the microphone to auction off four terrific items: A road trip with the Timberwolves; a fishing trip with Al Jefferson and Bill Popp, President of POPP.com and Wolves minority owner; a VIP trip to L.A. courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment; and a 2009 All-Star Extravaganza, including round-trip tickets to Phoenix, hotel accommodations and two tickets to the NBA All-Star Game.

All told, the auction alone netted tens of thousands of dollars for charity.

"This year at Taste, we wanted to highlight our partnerships with over 1700 Twin Cities non-profit organizations yearly and really give our guests an understanding of the broad scope of The FastBreak Foundation," concluded Barthol. "We did our best to provide a fun and elegant evening with great food and player interaction."

Timberwolves Feud
Raising those dollars for charity was of course the primary goal of the evening, but after the dirty work had been done, it was time for some pure, outright entertainment. As the Timberwolves Dancers distributed special "Crunch" ice cream - like Minnesota's mascot, of course - to the guests gathered around the main stage, 10 Wolves players took the platform for a friendly game of Family Feud, hosted by Kare11's Eric Perkins.

On one side stood the blue team, captained by Al Jefferson and featuring Michael Doleac, Corey Brewer, Greg Buckner and Randy Foye. On the other was the green team, with captain Rashad McCants, Marko Jaric, Ryan Gomes, Kirk Snyder and Chris Richard.

"Blue's got this," said Craig Smith, watching from his seat. "It's my favorite color, and I have that knowledge."

With traditional Family Feud rules in play, the first two contestants on respective teams stood on either side of Perkins and the podium before blowing on a small kazoo-type thing in place of a buzzer. First up were the two captains.

Question 1: Name a type of person that might wear goggles.
- McCants blew first, and went with a "swimmer", which was the top answer on the board for 30 points. Jaric then guessed a "scientist," to no avail. Gomes failed to get on the board with a construction worker, and Snyder struck out with an "athlete". As such, the blue team was afforded the chance to steal, and went with "skier," earning six points for that answer and stealing the 30 from McCants. Blue: 30, Green 0.

Question 2: Besides math, name the most difficult subject in school.
- Doleac beat Jaric to the punch and answered "science," earning 46 points for the blue team, who chose to keep the question. Brewer guessed "English," and was awarded with 28 points for the second most popular answer. Buckner guessed "foreign language" for four more points, then Foye went with the ever-popular class "geography/chemistry," which surprisingly was not on the board. However, Jefferson answered "history" for 17 more points and a 129-0 lead for the blue team after two periods.

Question 3: Name a nursery rhyme with the word "old" in the title.
- Brewer gave the blue team control of this seemingly difficult topic by answering "Old McDonald," which claimed 67 points. Buck followed up by saying: "I don't agree with this, but my team said, "Old Maid." X. Incorrect. Foye contributed seven points with "Old King Cole," Jefferson got on the board with "Old Mother Hubbard," while Doleac got the XX with "This Old Man." Brewer, however, closed out the question by offering "Old Lady in a Shoe," which the judges accepted for "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." Wow. 335-0 for blue in an absolute beat down.

"Brew was probably the MVP," said Smith after Brewer nailed the first and last answers in question 3. "Yeah, I'd give it to him."

Question 4: Name a kind of drink that you make with vodka.
- Enter the controversy. Apparently, the green team blew first and guessed "Vodka Cranberry," but another player answered at the same time. Perkins awarded the blue team control of the board, as the green team fumed. Foye went with a "Screwdriver," good for 21 points, and also closed out the question with "Vodka Tonic." Final score? 435-0, Blue team.

"I'm kinda psychic," bragged Smith. "Brew was money, like I said, and the LVP goes to Kirk Snyder. He's a truck."

A what? "Like a loser," explained Smith. Oh, OK."

"Some guys are very intelligent, and I had to show my knowledge a little bit," said a gleeful Brewer. "Gomes and them couldn't hang. He went to Providence, not Florida. I got a great education starting in Portland, Tennessee."

As for the defeated Green team?

"We took a few hits," Gomes tried to explain. "They had two number one answers and they played them out. We couldn't overcome that. Old McDonald was a hit. Plus the cranberry vodka answer that was stolen was going to take us over the top, but we had a little mix up of words. They came up with the win, but the dispute is not over."

Then came the bonus round, which consisted of Brewer and Foye having to answer the same questions in rapid concession, though answers could not be repeated. Brewer went first, and if Foye uttered the same response (as he did on the first question), he had to come up with a different answer. The goal was to reach the 200-point plateau. This resulted in some raucous laughter after Foye produced one rather interesting answer.

When asked what kind of jam was the best to spread, he replied, "Jelly."

"He was trippin' on that one," admitted Smith. "I think he's focused on the Grizzlies." "Al Jefferson told me to say that," Foye lied as the gathered audience and all the players had a good chuckle, all in good fun.

Nonetheless, Brewer and Foye reached the 200-point mark, and took the cake.

"We're just a smarter group," said Buck. "Period."

Mission Accomplished
The stated mission of the FastBreak Foundation is as follows:

"The Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation provides and supports hands-on programs that positively impact Minnesota youth. Through giving, education and basketball opportunities, the Foundation enables young people to make responsible decisions, contribute to their futures and experience lifelong memories."

The 2008 Taste of the Timberwolves helped to ensured that mission's continuance into the future.