Boca West Children’s Foundation Raises Nearly $300,000
Nearly $300,000 was raised during a Boca West Children’s Foundation luncheon headlined by Food Network star Chef Alex Guarnaschelli. The funds raised during the April 17 event will benefit local children’s charities.
The sold-out event took place at Boca West Country Club, with Michelle Gluckow serving as the luncheon chair. The event highlight was a Q&A discussion with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli who shared stories ranging from behind the scenes at the Food Network to her family’s history with cooking, to her career both in the kitchen and on the TV.
Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has opened Michelin-starred restaurants and was the winner of The Next Iron Chef, Guy’s Superstar Grocery Games, and served as a judge on Chopped and Iron Chef. She is a world-renowned chef and one of Food Network’s top stars. Guarnaschelli first appeared on the network in 2006 and has since been part of hundreds of episodes of programming on the network, including as a judge on Chopped, co-host of The Kitchen, host of Supermarket Stakeout, and star of Alex vs. America. As a competitor, she beat nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, joining the ranks of Kitchen Stadium Iron Chefs. She also hosts the award-winning digital series, Fix Me a Plate, and is the author of the cookbooks Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook (2013), The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart (2017), Cook with Me: 150 Recipes for the Home Cook (2020) and Cook It Up: Bold Moves for Family Foods (2023).
“Our guests thoroughly enjoyed Chef Alex’s entertaining, humorous, and heartfelt stories,” said Pamela Weinroth, Executive Director of Boca West Children’s Foundation. “We were delighted by the warm reception Chef Alex received and truly grateful for the generous support from our sponsors and attendees, all contributing to bettering the lives of children in our community.”
Sponsors included Hotwire Communications, Yvonne & Don Ackerman, Phyllis and Howard Boilen, Joni and Alan Goldberg, Lesser Lesser Landy and Smith – Attorneys at Law, Christine E. Lynn/E.M. Lynn Foundation, Marcia and Doug Mithun/MithunFamily Foundation, Laura Beinner, Eda and Cliff Viner Community Scholars Foundation , The Buzz Agency, Sharon DiPietro, April Lewis, Dx Web, Jane and Richard Zenker, Barbara and Dr. Don Janower, Totale Med Spa, Bonnie and Gary Hildebrand, Tammy & Charlie Pompea, Jeff & Aggie Stoops, Peggy & Rick Versace, Donna Biase, Carin Boris, SLS Group at Nest Seekers International. Boca Observer was the media sponsor.