Where I live: Driving hunger from metro Detroit at Forgotten Harvest's 2010 Champagne Cruise

Sip champagne for a serious cause and support Forgotten Harvest's effort to drive hunger from metro Detroit at the food rescue group's annual Champagne Cruise on August 20 at Westborn Market along Woodward Avenue in Berkley, Michigan.

I always look forward to this event, held the Friday evening before the official Saturday date of the massive Woodward Dream Cruise, which draws more than 40,000 vintage vehicles and as many as 1 million spectators to metro Detroit for a celebration of classic cars. Cruisers generally hit Woodward with their vintage vehicles on the warm weekends throughout much of the summer leading up to the official cruise date, with the action along the cruising strip reaching a peak as the Friday of the Champagne Cruise approaches. The Champagne Cruise's combination of timing, and its Woodward-side location, makes it one of the primo places to view some great cars while helping fund Forgotten Harvest's food rescue operation.

Forgotten Harvest rescued 19.4 million pounds of food otherwise destined for the trash and delivered it to emergency food providers to feed hungry metro Detroiters during Fiscal Year 2009-2010. Rescued food comes from donors like Champagne Cruise host Westborn Market and other donors like area grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, farmers, and wholesale food distributors.

What makes these numbers even more amazing to me is the fact that they represent a doubling of the numbers I saw last year, meaning that donors are digging even deeper into their pockets to help fellow metro Detroiters in an economy that continues to struggle.

But the Champagne Cruise is an evening of fun and good food for attendees.

Forgotten Harvest sets up a huge tent in the parking lot at Berkley’s Westborn Market. The market puts out an amazing array of cheeses and produce for guests to sample, while a handful of other area restaurants and caterers set up stations for a mini Taste Fest of some great metro Detroit eats.

And, yes, the Forgotten Harvest crew packs up the unused food at the end of the evening for distribution to area soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters.

This year, Champagne Cruise attendees will again dance to the music of The Sun Messengers (the "Official Band of the Detroit Pistons") and hang out in a special viewing area that offers a ringside seat for the car cruising action along Woodward.

I've always admired Forgotten Harvest for its approach to addressing the dual problems of hunger and waste by rescuing perfectly good food from disposal and getting it into the hands, and stomachs, of those who need it most.

Forgotten Harvest's responsible stewardship of their donated money and goods is also impressive. The charity is justifiably proud of its record of spending 95-plus percent of its funds on food programming and less than 5 percent of its money on administrative or fund raising costs, earning an "exceptional" rating from Charity Navigator.

So, I don't feel badly about plopping down $150 per ticket to support the group and its mission.