By Natalie Brown
On December 3rd, our group got the chance to attend the annual Ferneding dinner held at the Hotel Sacher. The Ferneding dinner is named for Jim Ferneding, who was a member to the 1972-1973 Salzburg group. Jim Ferneding passed away in 2006, but left behind the wish that each class of Salzburgers could experience fine dining at its very best. Jim left the funds in his will for the Salzburg program to be able to put on this dinner once a year.
Upon our arrival at the Hotel Sacher we were given Champagne to sip while we mingled together before the meal began.
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We entered the dining room to find it beautifully decorated and sat down to enjoy a delicious meal.
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Once the meal began, we were all amazed by how many incredible dishes we were being served.
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After dinner our guest speaker for the evening, Fr. Gary, spoke about Jim Ferneding and gave a wonderful toast. Jim was described by all who knew him as being a very friendly person who was well liked by all and loved to enjoy fine cuisine. He generously passed his love of food along to us by providing this wonderful dinner for each Salzburg group to experience. Our group speaker, Ryan Gillespie, also said a few words.
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When we thought we couldn’t possibly eat another bite, coffee and chocolates were brought to the table.
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We had a wonderful evening full of good food, good friends, and a great deal of laughter. This dinner is one that we will all remember for a long time.
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