They came in carrying footballs, helmets and memorabilia, avid collectors joining football fans to celebrate Taste of the NFL at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Tuesday evening.Linda DeHoff and Lara Wilson co-chaired the benefit for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. President and Chief Executive Dan Flowers said that in 2010, the food bank distributed 19.2 million pounds of food to help 180,000 people in eight Ohio counties. He and his wife, Holly, welcomed 450 guests.Collectors gathered around football greats Joe De-
Lamielleure, Leroy Kelly, Floyd Little, Randall McDaniel, Don Maynard, Anthony Munoz, Charlie Sanders, Jim Taylor, Dave Wilcox, Rayfield Wright and Jack Youngblood as they signed autographs. Thirteen-year-old Sierra Francis said she helps her dad, Lou, collect autographs. Board Chairman George Sarkis noted the demand for emergency food continues to rise, and one in three people in food lines is under the age of 18. He greeted guests with his wife, Diane. Spotted in the crowd were Tom and Angela Schervish, Gary and Jan Smith, Ted and Michelle Mahoney and his dad, Ed Mahoney, Patty Gibbs, Susan Flowers, Terri Nass Reader, Bill Bennett, and Dr. Tony Perry and his wife, Kathy Catazaro-Perry.Molly Meeker poured wine from her Meeker Vineyard in California, and Deanna Troutman offered wine from the Winery at Wolf Creek. “Try my son’s crab cakes,” said Jim Walsh at the Wooster Inn booth, where his son Ben and Ken Bogucki also served bread pudding.Charlie Somtrakool and Amy Sujibkul offered sushi from Cilantro Thai & Sushi Restaurant; Tom Rice served Chicken Marsala and Veggie Risotto from Georgio’s; while Angus O’Hara served Beef Wellington from the Galaxy Restaurant. Enjoying samples were John Zollo, Karen DeMetro, Craig and Barbara Babbett, Teri Coughlin, Christine Connors, Julie Paulhardt, Garvin Carter, Nancy Halter and Paul Bishop. Guests voted for their favorites, and Jon Jacobs and Carl Falcone of Bender’s Restaurant won with their Lobster Bisque in Bread Bowls and Sautéed Scallops. They will compete at the national Taste of the NFL before the Super Bowl. The event was expected to raise more than $135,000 for the food bank.