September 2011. On October 4, the LSU Rural Life Museum will host “Celebrity Waiter Roundup,” the annual fundraising dinner event for Youth Oasis. Melissa Keaster, Executive Director of Youth Oasis, notes, “The services our organization provides really does affect the entire community, yet the majority of people in Baton Rouge are unaware we even exist.”

Youth Oasis is a non-profit that steps in to address the needs of children in emergency situations, or young adults on the path to independent living. “Most of the youth in our care have been abused or neglected by their families and thus removed from their homes. This isn’t just someone else’s problem, because these youth are going to grow up. We are trying to make sure that they grow into productive, responsible citizens of our community despite not having any family who can or will care for them.”

As the one and only emergency shelter and transitional living program in Baton Rouge, and only one of three in the state, Youth Oasis has its hands full. The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” comes to mind, so the whole village of Baton Rouge is invited to the “Celebrity Waiter Roundup” in early October. In addition to live dancing music from Waylon Thibodaux; there’ll be cocktails, live and silent auctions, a wine bottle toss and hay pull. VooDoo BBQ & Grill will cater the casual “jeans and cowboy boots” affair.

And those celebrity waiters? Their job is to make sure attendees enjoy a great meal, all the while playfully nickel-and-diming them for a great cause. Keaster explained that part of the fun when dinner is served is seeing how the participating servers strategize to win the “Top Waiter” contest, which here means that the waiter with the most tips and collected donations wins. If guests request a refill, seconds on dessert, or a replacement for a dropped fork, it just might cost them a pretty penny if their server is super competitive. “I’d be happy to get you another napkin. That’ll be $10 please.” That sort of thing.

This year’s roundup of waiters includes Mayor Kip Holden, State Representative Erich Ponti, Matt Mascona, Chef Michael Loupe, jazz musician John Gray, Dr. Susan Bankston, and about thirty others from the community. Youthoasis.org for details on the organization, tickets to the event, and other ways to get involved.