Guests were handed commemorative wine glasses to kick off the evening at the second annual Joyful Tastes of Life, held Thursday at Todaro’s Party Center in Akron. The event, presented by the Akron General Foundation, raised money for patient care and supportive services at Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service. “They have such a wonderful mission and my mother-in-law, aunt and uncle all went through the hospice program,” said Steve Gary, whose wife, Nancy Gary, is now a volunteer. The gala featured wine and craft beer tasting as well as samples of seasonal foods from some of the area’s top chefs and restaurants. “This was so successful last year that we wanted a repeat,” said coordinator Deborah Foster. She said that more restaurants were participating. David DeVitis brought a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for the occasion. Chef Damon Choice, of Bravo Restaurant, made his specialty dish of Pasta Bravo. “I enjoy the wines and bidding on the silent auction,” said Patti Rabb.Mary Meli sold 50/50 raffle tickets during the evening to many of the 340 guests. “I enjoy the food and drinks, not to mention the cause,” said Rick Slater. Karen L. Mullen, vice president of Akron General Visiting Nurse Service and affiliates, addressed the crowd. Emcees for the evening were WONE’s Tim Daugherty and WQMX’s Sue Wilson. Beth Henry, Kathy Frymier-Lazar and Donna Hoover also attended. Hoover’s husband was in the Visiting Nurse Hospice program while being treated for cancer. “The hardest part is watching someone deteriorate in front of your eyes, but the staff who cared for him became a part of our family,” she said.