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Watermelon Crawl names Best in Show winner, donates to Children’s Hospital

August 22, 2017

Maple Hall named winning establishment in first-annual fundraiser

The organizers of Knoxville’s first Watermelon Crawl recognized the event’s Best in Show winner and made a donation to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital at a ceremony on Aug. 18 at THE TENNESSEAN Personal Luxury Hotel.

The Shelton’s Reverie cocktail by the team at Maple Hall and The Parlor at Maple Hall was named Best in Show based on voting by Watermelon Crawl guests. Voting was done through donations to Children’s Hospital, with one dollar equaling one vote.

During the Watermelon Crawl on Aug. 1-6, a collection of downtown Knoxville restaurants and bars presented original watermelon-based creations, from cocktails to food to dessert. Guests who purchased the items could vote for their favorite creation through donations to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, which totaled $352.

“We’re thrilled with the camaraderie and teamwork that the Watermelon Crawl created among downtown businesses,” Maggie Kornahrens, event organizer and director of marketing for THE TENNESSEAN Personal Luxury Hotel, said. “And we all love the extra benefit of supporting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital as we celebrate the sweetest part of summer. We already have ideas for an even bigger Watermelon Crawl in 2018.”

The organizers and beneficiary celebrated on Aug 18 the results of the city’s first Watermelon Crawl event at THE TENNESSEAN Hotel. During the Watermelon Crawl, several downtown Knoxville businesses offered watermelon-focused food and cocktails and accepted donations for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. From left: Maggie Kornahrens, event organizer and director of marketing for THE TENNESSEAN Personal Luxury Hotel; Callie Word, community development manager for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital; Ryan Sheley, operations manager for Maple Hall, which was winner of Best in Show for its Shelton’s Reverie cocktail; and Dave Mason, account manager for Graphic Creations, which provided promotional support for the event.

Participating establishments included Babalu Tapas & Tacos, Café 4, Cruze Dairy Farm Pop-up Shop, Fairgrounds and Windows on the Park at Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park; The Drawing Room at The Tennessean Personal Luxury Hotel; Juice Bar in Market Square; Knox Whiskey Works; Maple Hall and The Parlor at Maple Hall; and Oliver Royale.

Graphic Creations, 213 E. 4th Ave., provided graphic design and printing services in support of the event.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is not affiliated with or an organizer of this event.