By Kellie Speed Jul. 7th, 2011

The summer is off to a great start here in Boston and there is no better way to celebrate the incredible outdoors than with a food festival to benefit Father Bill's. The 17th Annual FoodFest & Auction fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, July 26, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Ocean Club at Marina Bay in Quincy.

Here, you will be able to sample dishes from more than 40 of the South Shore's restaurants along with food and wine purveyors, while listening to live entertainment, auctions, raffle drawings all amidst an amazing view of Boston Harbor. The South Shore's signature summer event supports the programs and services provided to almost 3,000 individuals and families struggling with homelessness each year. FBMS helps people achieve self-sufficiency through emergency shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing.

"This will be our seventeenth year hosting the event and our fifteenth at the marina," said John Yazwinski, chief executive officer and president of Father Bill's & MainSpring. "We are expecting about 1,000 people to attend this year with a goal to raise $250,000. There will be chefs from the North End to 17 communities on the South Shore."

Participants this year include:

• Avon: Ruby Wines
  
• Boston: Honest Tea; Venezia, Deadwood Brewery, Bricco, Umbria Prime, Trattoria Il Panino, Mare
  
• Braintree: Popchips, Konditor Meister
  
• Brockton: Montilio's Baking Company; Gowells Homemade Candy
  
• Cohasset: Atlantica on Cohasset Harbor
  
• Hingham/Hull: Alma Nove; Jasper White's Summer Shack; Nona's Ice Cream; Raffael's at the South Shore Country; Typhoon; Jake's Seafood Restaurant Club; Burtons Grill
  
• Milton: Fruit Center Market Place Plymouth: Mayflower Brewing Company; Hearth Wood Fired Bread
  
• Quincy: Fratelli's Pastry Shop; Fuji1546; Ginger Betty's; Neighborhood Club of Quincy; The Common Market Restaurants; The Fours Restaurant Bar & Grill
  
• Randolph: The Lantana
  
• Weymouth: Tio Juan's Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and Watering Hole; Two Sisters Catering
  
• Yarmouth: Captain Parkers

How did the idea for this annual food festival come about? "It started as Father Bill (the late Rev. William McCarthy) saw the need for sheltering families and individuals," Yazwinski said. "We do have state assistance but there is a gap. We don't turn away anyone who comes to Father Bill's. We have to fundraise so we can continue to serve everyone who knocks on our door. We shelter families and individuals in two shelters in Quincy and Brockton. The state is looking to cut our contract so we are facing tough times. Everyone's support is needed now more than ever. We really need to look at ending homelessness on the South Shore."

The Ocean Club at Marina Bay is located at 333 Victory Road, Quincy, MA. Tickets are $100 per person. For more information, call 855-435-7326 or visit FatherBillsMainSpring.org.