On June 14, Urban Outfitters headquarters at the Navy Yard was filled with chefs, beverage vendors and guests as far as the eye could see, all for two wonderful local organizations that help individuals both locally and on the national level—Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Vetri Community Partnership.
In its 11th year, the Great Chefs Event once again proved that kindness, charity and selfless assistance is all around us, from the renowned chefs and beverage vendors who took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer for this fundraising event to the Great Chefs Event attendees who purchased tickets, placed bids during silent and live auctions and donated money outright to support the organizations’ multi-faceted missions.
As the focal point was on contributing to these two organizations, we must not forget to applaud the chefs and beverage vendors and their delectable offerings served up throughout the night. Some of the culinary creations of the evening included orecchiette alla norcina from Marc Murphy of Landmarc; dafina oxtail, crispy chickpeas, harissa and yogurt from Timon Balloo of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill; an intriguing pasta dish from Mark Ladner of Del Posto; and a veggie dish from Traci des Jardins of Jardiniere, featuring carrot tallow and biltong on an English muffin.
Cocktails were also free-flowing throughout the evening, with beverage options including Prima Pils and Cherry Gose from Victory Brewing Company, Pliny the Elder and Supplication from Tom Peters of Monk’s Café/Russian River Brewing Company, the Tahona Tonic tequila cocktail from Jesse Vida of The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog and wine varietals from various beverage vendors.
In between the food sampling and cocktail sipping, bids came in on a rapid basis for one-of-a-kind silent auction items including sporting event and concert tickets, destination items, culinary offerings and more. The speeches during the night were poignant and touching, including those by Jay and Liz Scott, parents of Alex Scott and founders of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and Maya Rigler, a young girl who is battling cancer and is a tireless supporter of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Billy Harris, Marc Summers and Alicia Vitarelli served as emcees for the evening and engaged the crowd with their interactions and evident support for these two excellent organizations.
In the end, another successful Great Chefs Event has been completed and a large amount of funds have been raised to help both Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Vetri Community Partnership continue to pursue their goals to help children in a variety of ways. Looking for ways to lend a hand? Make a donation or volunteer for one of the many future events of these two organizations and do your part to ensure that these two vital causes receive the proper funding and enable their success!
- Photos: Kristen Kwiatkowski
