Dining to dress children

Tickets are now on sale for the 35th annual Dress the Child fundraising dinner, which will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

Tickets are $100 each or a table of 10 for $800, and include a seven-course meal prepared by Las Cruces’ finest chefs, with each course served to the table, with Hilary Floren of KIVA-TV in El Paso returning as mistress of ceremonies, along with live music, a silent auction, a 50-50 raffle and a cash bar.

"The Dress the Child dinner has always been special,” said long-time event coordinator Doug Boberg. “But this year, the chefs have created an incredible Cuban-inspired menu that is unique to our area and unique to this dinner. The silent auction will include one-of-a-kind items and, as always, there will be a few surprises along the way. As in past years, everything for the dinner has been donated, so every penny of ticket sales, auction revenue, and 50-50 donations will go toward buying impoverished children new clothing and shoes," Boberg said.

This year’s dinner courses and their chef creators:

• Amuse-Bouche: Welcome Bite in Hallway: Tostón Relleno. Crisp green plantain cup filled with ropa vieja mousse, finished with micro cilantro and sour orange crema; and

• Vegetarian: Sofrito Empanada. A crisp, golden empanada filled with seasoned black beans, roasted sweet corn and aromatic sofrito.

Both the above dishes will be prepared by Chef Cecilia Castro and Chris Hutchinson of Hacienda de Mesilla.

• Soup: Sopa de Ajo y Pan Cubano. Served with Cuban rolls, roasted garlic soup with Cuban bread croutons, smoked paprika oil and shaved Manchego. Prepared by Las Cruces Convention Center

Executive Chef (and the evening’s host chef) Armando Murillo and Jeremiah Richardson of Proofed Bread Company of Las Cruces.

• Salad: Ensalada de Aguacate y Naranja. Avocado, orange supremes, pickled red onion, baby greens, and queso fresco with honey-lime vinaigrette. Prepared by D.H. Lescombes General Manager Kevin Chavez and Chef Luis Castaneda.

• Seafood: Camarones al Ajillo. Gulf shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic and guajillo chile, served over yuca purée with citrus gremolata. Prepared by SYSCO Foods Executive Chef Armando Pomales.

• Intermezzo: Granita de Mojito. Lime, mint, and white rum granite. Prepared by Doña Ana Community College Senior Culinary Arts Instructor Tom Drake.

• Entree: Lechón Asado. Slow-roasted pork with mojo criollo served with Moros y Cristianos, sweet plantains and charred scallion barbecue sauce. Prepared by Jim Bob’s BBQ owner Jim Leon.

• Dessert: Coconut Tres Leches with caramelized pineapple and toasted coconut crumble. Served with

Cuban coffee (compliments of Nestle). Prepared by Doña Ana Community College Cake and Patisserie Instructor Jenni Kosnick-Hart- and Nestle’s Robin Jarvis.       

Centennial High School family and consumer sciences teachers Carleigh Salmon and Magan Romig will bring CHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America students to act as servers during the evening, along with CHS student government members, sponsored by Melanie Stuart.

Live entertainment will be provided by Joe Seltzer on drums, Roman Chip on saxophone, Arnold Schnitzer on bass, Miguel Torres on piano and Derrick Lee on vibes and percussion.

“This year’s dinner will provide a major portion of the $70,000 we hope to raise to buy new clothes and shoes for the 2026 Las Cruces Dress the Child program,” Boberg said. “This is the 42nd year for Dress the Child of Las Cruces, which the late Doug Rains started in 1984. We survived COVID, and the event continues to get bigger and better every year.”

A program of the Rio Grande Rotary Foundation, Dress the Child of Las Cruces provided new clothes and shoes to 458 children last year and provided hoodies to 54 high school students.

Dress the Child helped 15 children during its first year, 1984. Since then, more than 15,000 children – the vast majority of whom have never had new clothes or new shoes – have received them through the program. The goal this year is to provide new clothes and shoes for 650 children in need, Boberg said.

Dress the Child added a golf tournament fundraiser this year, which was held in May at the NMSU golf course raised enough money to provide new clothes and shoes for 117 children as they began the 2026-27 school year. Funds raised at the dinner will buy new clothes and shoes for hundreds more students as they shop with Dress the Child volunteers in November and December at Kohl’s Department Store in Las Cruces. Each child will have $100 to spend on clothing; participating stores have always added more to that total, Boberg said.

For tickets to the dinner, to be a sponsor and for more information, contact Boberg at 575-644-9469 and drboberg@gmail.com. You can buy tickets online at dressthechildlc.org. Also visit Dress the Child Las Cruces on Facebook.

To make a donation by mail, send a check to LCRGRF Dress the Child, P.O. Box 550, Las Cruces, N.M, 88004. Or, take your donation to Julie Koenig at First New Mexico Bank, 3000 E. Lohman Ave.