Once Upon a Swine

Shortly after I moved to Savannah the first time in April of 1999, I got invited to a party. A friend had invited my wife for a “cocktail party” at The Mulberry Hotel on Bay Street. I was a weekend sports anchor at WSAV at the time and most of my evenings were free to get to know this new city we had chosen to call home. So we accepted, poured ourselves a beer, and took a walk from our townhouse on Crawford Square down Houston Street to The Mulberry for this cocktail party. Upon arrival, we saw our friend, Joe Driggers, who had extended the invite. One step into this room where the party was and I thought I had walked into Oz. Disco was playing, very loudly I might add, people were dancing, lights were spinning and I saw a handful of people I had only known in a professional capacity to that point running around with ties undone, headbands, flower leighs and pig noses.  Yes, pig noses. One of them was Monica McMasters of B Street Salon. At the time she used to cut my hair and actually still does. But I only knew her from sitting in her chair a couple of times a month. This was insanity. It was at that point, one month in to my “Savannah Experience”, if you will, that I learned this is a small city where everyone knows each other, they love to get together after hours for social occasions, and most importantly, they rally around great causes. It would be something slightly less than true to say that was my last cocktail party in Savannah. Charitable or otherwise.

Fast forward fifteen or so years and I was summoned to dinner by the American Diabetes Association. The annual Kiss-a-Pig Campaign, quite possibly the most popular fundraising extravaganza in Savannah, was coming around the corner and I was asked to get involved. Honestly, my first reaction was “no way”. Between my responsibilities for the website, television show, part-time weekend sports at WSAV-TV, and this newspaper, how could I possibly take this on? I couldn’t do it. I will say, the folks at ADA were, ummmmm…persuasive. That combined with the fact that there is diabetes in my family. In fact, I just moved my sister to Savannah from Florida to make sure she was getting the best care. She’s lost the better part of her right foot to this horrible disease. I’ve watched her deal with insulin levels, other heath issues related to diabetes, and learn to get around in a wheelchair. I am watching this first hand. I had to make this work for a very worthy cause and I will.

The final details are still being worked out, but Eat It and Like It is honored to be part of the Kiss-a-Pig Campaign. The theme this year? Once Upon a Swine. One lucky prince or princess will emerge in May having raised the most money for Diabetes research and have the honor of kissing the pig. I plan to be that prince. How so? We are going on tour. A culinary tour of the region. We are still finalizing dates and venues, but we are essentially throwing eight parties across the area and are inviting you to join us. Yes, there will be a couple of wine dinners, of course, but we are also planning pig roasts, pizza parties, and all kinds of food-related fun. There are also plans for a “Scrambled Egg Golf  Scramble. (See what we did there?) The chefs that I’ve spoken to have practically signed up on the spot. WSAV has stepped up and become the media sponsor of the entire campaign. This is going to be greater than great. Proceeds from these events will go to Team Eat It and Like It and will earn me a spot in front of that pig in May. You will have plenty of time to make plans to join us this Spring for one of our fantastic evenings of food. Some events might just pop up somewhere. You never know. One thing I will guarantee you right now, though there may be disco, lights and all kinds of ballyhoo, you are unlikely to find me wearing a pig nose, Oh, and a quick message to all the other very worthy contestants in the mix this year? You had better bring you’re “A” game. This Cuban is planning to kiss that pig.

See you on TV.

Jesse