The 14th annual Taste at the Cove event is expected to draw about 800 to Scripps Park in La Jolla Cove on Aug. 27. Benefiting the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation, the event draws professional athletes and local celebrities for a night honoring a community legend and a medical philanthropist of note to the medicine foundation. Featuring food from more than 30 local restaurants, a hosted bar and a swimwear fashion show presented by Sauvage La Jolla and Diesel Salon, Taste at the Cove features silent and live auctions with high-end items, including tickets to high-profile sporting events, autographed memorabilia, intimate dinners with professional athletes and awards show packages. Participating La Jolla restaurants include Cusp Dining & Drinks, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Herringbone, among others. This year’s community legend is former San Diego Chargers running back and NFL Most Valuable Player LaDainian (LT) Tomlinson. Selected by event staff, Tomlinson is recognized for his strong ties to San Diego and his contributions within the community, including his Tomlinson’s Touching Lives Foundation, which enhances the lives of deserving families through education, social and cultural awareness and positive self-esteem. Tomlinson spent the majority of his 11-year athletic career with the Chargers and is being honored for his performance both on and off the field. “We always auction off one item that goes to the community legend’s charity of choice,” said Dr. David Chao, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and founder of the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation. “The auction items are themed around the honoree, so this year many items will be surrounding LT and the Chargers,” he said. The medical figure is revealed during the event and is selected by previous medical honorees. Since the theme and design of Taste at the Cove are based on the community legend, no two events are ever the same. Professional athletes including Marshall Faulk, Tony Hawk, the late Junior Seau and Bill Walton have attended previous events. The San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation provides medical care to injured youth with limited financial means. It’s perhaps best known for its free Saturday morning sports injury screenings for all San Diego County high school student athletes during the fall sports season. NFL player Reggie Bush attended these clinics when he was a student at Helix High School in La Mesa. “We’re a medical safety net,” said Chao. “We don’t feel that kids should be penalized for a lack of finances, or their parents’ lack of finances. Through medical care and surgeries, we return these kids back to health, sports and life.” Taste at the Cove will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at 1100 Coast Blvd. MVP tables are available for $3,500, and Hall of Fame lounges are available for $5,500. Both packages accommodate 10 people. For more information or to purchase a table, visit tasteatthecove.com.
