Treat the tastebuds with Persian Dinner to keep hospice running

A Persian feast will be served up to tempt the tastebuds while international travel is on hold at a fundraiser for Albany Community Hospice.

The drawcard is Iranian-born Albany cook Mahshid Ferdowsian, who will run a kitchen producing the flavours of her home country.

The hospice has been providing free palliative care in Albany for more than 30 years, and relies on donations.

Fundraising committee chair Jeanann Barbour said the hospice needed to raise about $250,000 each year to cover costs.

“We are the only community hospice in WA,” she said.

“When a patient stays at the hospice, there is a gap between costs of what’s covered by Medicare and health insurance. We like to guarantee that no one has to pay to stay at hospice, so we need to fill that gap.

“We try to go above and beyond for patients.

“We brought a horse in for a person who is mad about horses, and another wanted to go on a Harley-Davidson bike, so we made that happen.”

She said the committee aimed to host an event every month to keep funds rolling in.

“Mahshid is a very well-known cook in Albany and she offered to do the dinner, so we took her up on her offer,” Ms Barbour said.

“Her meals are always a treat. She really is a well-known personality in Albany, and it will be a great night.”

The Persian dinner will take place at Albany Surf Life Saving Club from 6.30pm on Saturday, June 19.

Tickets are available from Paperbark Merchants.