Orange County Alzheimer's Food Truck Block Party Draws More Than 3,500

IRVINE, CA, April 20, 2011 (Press-News.org) On Thursday, April 14, 2011, the Alzheimer's Association, Orange County turned the notion of a traditional fundraiser on it's ear by rocking one of the most unique and well-organized events to-date — all to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease, the fourth largest cause of death in the county. An estimated 3,500 people, largely informed through social media, descended upon Central Park West in Irvine to enjoy the delectable treats of 17 of SoCal's most sought after gourmet food trucks.

The mission of The Alzheimer's Food Truck Block Party was to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease, let people know about the services the chapter offers to the community at no charge, and to encourage motivated and hungry guests to sign up for the upcoming Alzheimer's Association's 2011 Walks to End Alzheimer's (www.alz.org/walk) events beginning with Doheny Beach on May 7 and The District in Tustin on June 18.

Experts at managing large community events, the Alzheimer's Association's "event machine" of staff members and 70 volunteers kept registration and food lines running smoothly throughout the evening. The attractive Central Park West venue provided ample space for a sea of white tables set on the expanse of a beautiful green lawn surrounded by the gourmet trucks. Entertainment by DJ Ray Samora and a multitude of street performers ensured an evening of fun for the entire family.

As a result of the event and promotion, the chapter has added an additional 220 families who indicated a connection to Alzheimer's and an interest in learning more about the programs and services available, 79 people enrolled to become Alzheimer's activists, and 145 registered to participate in one of the upcoming Walks to end Alzheimer's.

General admission was $5, which included access to the dining area, gourmet food trucks and complimentary bottled water. VIP tickets were $25, which included access to the dining area, gourmet food trucks, free valet parking, $5 in Cluster Bucks, a swag bag and complimentary Fuze drink.

The chapter is grateful to a multitude of people and organizations who contributed to the success of the event:

Sponsors
Lennar, Central Park West, Patrician Company, Cluster Truck Events, Amistad Clinics, Silverado Senior Living, Ware Disposal, Cabo Foods, High Roller Rentals, Fuze, Classic Party Rentals, PranaBar and DJ Ray Samora.

Participating Gourmet Food Trucks
Baconmania, Barbies Q, Barcelona on the Go, Fresh Fries LA, Kabob Express, Komodo, Long Boards Ice Cream, Louks To-Go, Nom Nom Truck, Short Stop BBQ, SpudRunners, Tapa Boy LA, The Burnt Truck, The Flip Truck, The Lime Truck, The Munchie Machine and Uncle Laus BBQ.

Special thanks to the SoCal food bloggers for Tweeting, Facebooking, blogging and running contests in promotion of the event including, but not limited to:
Saturday Night Foodies (review: http://bit.ly/fdkiR8), OC Menus, Dine & Devour (review: http://networkedblogs.com/gHRgt), Fast Food Maven, Just Spotted and the fabulous Hazel Q at Yelp OC!

To view the photo album of the event, go to: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.205438812810601.47697.141681865852963.

About Alzheimer's Association, Orange County
The Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association provides a comprehensive suite of programs and services — provided at no charge — to meet myriad and evolving needs of people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, their families, caregivers and the community. For more information, please go to, http://www.alz.org/oc, or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.