SSYMCA's "The Taste" Celebrating Community and Culinary Excellence
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the South Shore YMCA will once again transform its Hale Family YMCA field house in Quincy to host the annual Taste of the South Shore fundraising event, a celebration of community impact and culinary excellence on the South Shore.
At “The Taste” 2025, chefs representing the South Shore’s finest restaurants, bakeries, and catering companies will step into the “arena” to prepare and personally served creative culinary tastings to guests, while local breweries, distilleries, cocktail and mocktail masters serve samples from upscale concessions stands. From tantalizing tastings to refreshing sips and mocktails, each one of the 25+ food and beverage partners bring their best to the table for a chance to win the Top Taste or Top Sip award.
“It’s going to an amazing time with amazing chefs,” said this year’s Taste host, Chef Jimmy Liang, CEO and Head Chef of JP Fuji Group and CEO of Masons Steakhouse in Quincy. “We’re here to raise money to make sure that every kid has a chance to play well and be well at the Y, just like I did as a kid.”
This year’s Taste of the South Shore event aims to raise over $500,000 for youth sports programs and camps to ensure that no child in the community is ever turned away from experiencing the transformative power of youth sports at the Y.
“The Y is where everyone belongs on the team,” said South Shore YMCA CEO Paul Gorman. “Sports teach kids to be strong in spirit, mind, and body. At the Y, all kids can learn and play in a safe place without fear, with adaptive, recreational, and competitive sports programs where every kid has a chance to make friends and be their best.”
This is the second year that the South Shore YMCA will hold The Taste onsite, after hosting the event at Lombardo’s in Randolph from 1996 until the historic venue closed in 2024. David Lombardo will return as this year’s Taste of the South Shore Master of Ceremonies, representing the next generation of the Lombardo family and their continued passion for creating memorable events that combine excellence in cuisine with meaningful community impact.
“The South Shore YMCA has been like family to me,” said Lombardo. “The Taste holds a special place in my heart. I am honored to keep our shared tradition alive and introduce it to a whole new generation of guests and partners.”
“Having ‘The Taste’ within the walls of our YMCA allows us to showcase the places where magic truly happens,” added Gorman. “From the joy of learning a new sport to the exhilaration of friendly competition, every corner of our Y embodies the spirit of growth, community, and endless possibilities for kids.”
Admission to the fundraising event is $175 per person and is a tax-deductible donation to the Y, with special “early bird” registration of $150 per person before April 10, 2025. The exciting 21+ event offers unlimited gourmet food and beverage tastings, music, mingling, and fun for all. Visit ssymca.org/taste to register. For details on how to participate as a food or beverage partner, or event sponsor, contact Mary Orne at morne@ssymca.org.
About the South Shore YMCA
The South Shore YMCA is a leading charitable organization dedicated to strengthening community through programs that promote healthy spirit, mind, and body. Serving the communities of Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and beyond, the South Shore Y provides the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive through its services and programs. Financial Assistance is a Y community benefit available to all families in need, applicable to all Y programs and services. To learn more about the South Shore YMCA, visit www.ssymca.org. The South Shore YMCA: the better you belongs here.