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The Austin Area Foundation is hoping to give area residents a special Valentine’s Day, while also raising some funds for its cause.

The second annual ‘For the Love of Austin’ will include a four course meal, and a virtual night of entertainment that will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 via Zoom.

As an added bonus, participants will also get a chance to see Taggert Medgaarden, the Executive Director of Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority, shave off his winter beard. Steve Barrett, director of the AAF, said that if a goal of $500 is reached, Taggert will be shaving.

“We’ll be making Tanya Medgaarden very happy if we can raise enough money and there is a good chance that happens,” Barrett said. “Taggert is so well known and he’s got lots of friends who are encouraging the support for Tanya.”

Last year, the event was in-person before COVID-19 hit and it raised $9,400 for the AAF. This year, an anonymous donor has pledged to match the total donations up to a maximum amount of $25,000.

“We were incredibly excited about that,” Barrett said.

The cost is $50 per meal and participants can pick up their food at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. before logging on for the program – which will feature videotaped interviews of AAF grant recipients and musical performance from a local artist. The meal will be prepared by the Holiday Inn’s new executive chef.

“We’ve had the support of KIMT News 3, which helped with the interviews,” Barrett said. “We will have a couple of fundraising elements. We will be asking participants to call in or log on to the website and make a pledge for a donation.”

For more information, call or email Barrett at 507-434-7494 or director@austinareafoundation.org.

The AAF is a 501 (C)(3) public nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to enhance the community through charitable giving.