Michelin starred chef Soo Ahn.
When it comes to philanthropy, there is perhaps no greater party than the charity dinner. Hosting a wide variety of guests, dishes and events, charity dinners are fantastic excursions, a giant hoopla for a greater cause, and a chance to share a good meal with friends. Meals on Wheels knows this all too well; the charity organization, famous for helping in-need seniors get fed everyday, has hosted a wide variety of these dinners across America for over 35 years, and the tradition continues today.
Case in point: the Chicago chapter of Meals on Wheels will be hosting their own gala Friday, Oct. 14, featuring a wide variety of famous local chefs and dishes. Appropriately titled the “Celebrity Chef Ball,” the party – hosted at the famous Geraghty venue on the West Side – is set to host over 50 famous chefs from around the Chicagoland area, all boasting a wide variety of acclamations, including Michelin stars and James Beard and Bib Gourmand Awards.
Those purchasing tickets will be treated to an extravagant fine dining experience. Unlike other galas, which often feature a buffet or serving platter, guests will be served by three of the award-winning chefs, who will prepare a six-course meal right in front of them! As a result, no menu has been released for the event, but guests can expect a wonderful, unique experience from some of Chicago’s best. Tickets are currently available at Meals on Wheels Chicago’s website, going for $400 a person.
The money made from the event will be used almost immediately, as the chapter will use the funds to continue to buy meals for home-bound seniors. According to a release from the organization, one in six seniors will experience food insecurity in their lives, with high prices and other balances making it difficult to find meals some days. Meals on Wheels looks to remove this difficulty, bringing a hot cooked meal to those impacted; as of 2022, they serve over 4.7 million meals a year.
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“I think it’s important to raise money and awareness for Meals on Wheels Chicago and what they do,” says Heidi Clifton, the co-chair of the gala. “The donations go to work tomorrow. This isn’t a cause where we wait for research or medical advances, you can feed a senior the next day. We easily forget that cooking a nutritious meal is not as easy for our homebound seniors and those with disabilities. We all need to eat, and the chances of us or our families needing a service like Meals on Wheels in our lives, makes this such a worthy cause.”
As previously mentioned, there will be a wide variety of award-winning chefs at this year’s gala, over 50 total. Some of the highlights include eleven-time Michelin starred chef and Goose Island collaborator Jared Wentworth, four-time James Beard Award Finalist Andrew Zimmerman, “Top Chef” fan favorite Fabio Viviani, noted contemporary Troy Jorge and Jean Banchet-winner Jason Paskewitz. A full list of chefs can be found on the Gala’s webpage. Also noteworthy among the list is famed cookbook author and Japanese chef, Paul Virant, a longtime supporter of the Meals for Wheels cause.
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“For people who are homebound, having a nutritious meal delivered to you by a warm and friendly driver is the highlight of the day,” said Virant. “We should never underestimate the healing power of presence. Presence at a spectacular event. Presence when you are working with people you truly like. And the small quiet moment of presence when you hand someone a meal and ask them how they are doing.”
Presence, indeed. For an event that’ll satisfy the senses and help those in need, there’s perhaps no better way to spend an evening.
Photography by: Meals On Wheels Chicago
