Several Aiken eateries welcomed an unusual staffing situation May 19, with Children’s Place having its annual restaurant-based fundraiser with the cooperation of such establishments as Electric Eats, Grumpy’s Sports Pub, Malia’s, Park Avenue Oyster Bar and Grill, Tailgate Tavern and The Village Cafe.
This was Celebrity Waiter Night’s 30th anniversary, and the gathering got a thumbs-up review from Peggy Ford, Children’s Place’s executive director. “It’s about friend-raising,” she said. “We’re always thankful for the dollars, but it’s really so much more about joining and being a part of a community and having a community wrap around people that need help. I don’t think there’s a better place to be and to advertise Aiken and how we are. It’s just such a joyful time.”
Among high-profile figures in the festivities was Marty Sawyer, a first-time participant now in his first term as Aiken County’s sheriff. He was on waiter duty at Malia’s, and “was amazed at the generosity of the people that came into Malia’s … and their attitude toward Children’s Place and toward us,” he said.
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Celebrity Waiter Night 2025
Referring to the restaurant’s wait staff and owners, Sawyer added, “You can’t say enough about them for volunteering their time. I know they still get paid, but all the tips go to Children’s Place, and the attitude … and the generosity of everybody involved make you glad to live in Aiken and have this type of people living here.”
Floyd and Green Fine Jewelers added to the stakes, donating a pair of 14K white gold diamond stud earrings to be raffled off, and some participants bought dozens of tickets.
“The idea of getting likeminded people together for charity in different restaurants builds up a little momentum,” said Rob Johnston, one of Children’s Places most prominent boosters. “It was one of the best evenings I’ve ever had, socially. Everybody was in a giving mood and the food was great and the conversations were great.”
Johnston, who visited Malia’s for the occasion, described Ford as “one of God’s angels on Earth,” and expressed appreciation for the chance to hear her message and support her efforts.
Among other eateries on board for the 2025 event were Aiken Fish House, The Feed Sack, Local Junction, Prime and Whiskey Alley. Newberry Hall is also participating but has a separate date, with plans for a private Savannah River Nuclear Solutions gathering on May 29.
“I met so many people last night that were learning about our work,” Ford said. “It was always exciting to meet new people and to have new people in attendance as well as people that have been to all 30 of them.”
The annual fundraiser dates back to 1995 and the beneficiary is “a hub for numerous programs supporting children and families in Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Edgefield, and McCormick counties,” as stated on the Children’s Place website.
The organization’s current board officers are Janice Lawson, president; Holly Hall, vice president; Darlene Murdoch, secretary; and Janice Nix, treasurer.
Children’s Place celebrated a major milestone this month, as the organization’s base of operations moved to a brand-new facility on Prosperity Lane on May 5. The prior buildings were a residence and a former church building from the 1880s, at Fairfield Street and Barnwell Avenue, and the new site includes 8 acres and a 16,000-square-foot building.
