By Shawn Skager

The Courier-Herald

Rainier Hills Young Life will host another edition of The Palate of the Plateau beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

&#8220The event is to raise money for Young Life in the White River and Enumclaw area to help us reach adolescents in middle school through high school,” said Loran Zenonian, area director for Young Life. &#8220Some of the money raised goes directly to get kids to summer camp, or it goes toward our operating budget.”

Zenonian said the Young Life program tries to send all of it's members to week-long summer camps in either Oregon or British Columbia every year.

The event itself is a chance for Plateau residents to get a taste on the cheap of some of the tasty fare available at area restaurants.

&#8220It is kind of like the Bite of Seattle on a smaller scale,” Zenonian said.

For $10 for adults, or $5 for children, eight tickets can be purchased and redeemed for portions at one of 11 area restaurants.

This year's fare will be provided by the Greenwater Lodge Coffee Shop, Bangkok Thai Restaurant, Mazatlan, Cafe Panini, Coho's, Four Seasons, Quizno's, Mama Passarelli's, Sweet Necessities, Rainier Bar and Grill and the El Camino Family Restaurant.

&#8220The restaurants are great, they donate the food and staff the booth,” Zenonian said. &#8220It's a great event.”

In addition to the food the event will feature an auction.

&#8220We auction some simple things, each year, like power tools, trips or time shares,” Zenonian said. &#8220All the auction items are donated and all of the money goes toward the kids.”

This will be the sixth Palate of the Plateau event. Last year's event raised close to $20,000 for Young Life.

&#8220The bottom line is it's a fantastic night for the family, whether you've got small children or it's just a couple,” Zenonian added. &#8220We just try to make it family fun for everyone. It's fund raising, but we want to make it fun. We joke that we're putting the fun back into fund raising.”

Advance tickets are available by calling 360-825-6425.

Shawn Skager can be reached at sskager@courierherald.com.