The service will no doubt be speedy and "kicked up a notch" as waiters from area favorite restaurants will compete neck in neck for the "Top Dog" trophy in this year's "Waiter Games," Oct. 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Central Park of Market Street. The event kicks off the South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce's 2006 Taste of the Town.

"Chamber member restaurants will compete for a traveling trophy and a choice location at Taste of the Town," she said. "They will participate in events like the tray relay. Waiters are to pick up a tray, holding it at head level, and pick up glasses and plates as quickly as possible. This is done around an obstacle course of tables and chairs. The first person to finish with everything on their tray wins the relay."

"Each team will be armed with trays to deflect water balloons. If a waiter is hit with a water balloon, they are considered disqualified. The driest team wins," Tiger explained.

The games will begin the annual food drive that Taste of the Town supports for Montgomery County. The games are also held in conjunction with the Chamber's monthly Business after Hours.

"One major component of the games will be the annual food drive," Kay Hohman, director of communications at the Chamber, said. "Beginning with their sign-up, participating restaurants will collect cans of food until Oct. 13. They can gather non-perishable food items or money for the Montgomery County Food Bank. Each dollar collected will equal four cans of food for the final tally. The food drive winner has second choice of its booth location at Taste of the Town."

"I know that lots of people are contributing food because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but the need doesn't end there," Dawn Bradshaw, of the food bank's board, said. "We serve 38 pantries throughout Montgomery County. Basically, the hurricanes put a strain on our food supply, but we must meet the needs of all the residents of our county as well as our evacuees."

Celebrating its 20th season, Taste of the Town at Town Center is Jan. 26 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center's Exhibit Hall.

"There will also be a dessert competition for presentation purposes only," she added. "More than 55 of our favorite eateries served more than 5,000 friends and neighbors at Taste of the Town last year," Hohman concluded.

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