Blog

Orange County’s Top Chefs Raise Money, Awareness for Homeless Families
03.16.17
On March 12, 2017, thirty-two of the county’s top chefs came together at the county’s most exclusive culinary fundraiser at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, to participate at Illumination Foundation’s 2017 OC Chef’s Table. This over the event raised over $680,000 for the construction of a new emergency house for homeless families with children.
Every dish, libation and extravagant decoration was designed and donated by the chefs and restaurants with the intention of making the night unforgettable for every guest and raising funds for Illumination Foundation’s Emergency Home. Each table burst with colors, textures, decorations and smells. The tablescapes all ranging in shapes and sizes Some restaurants chose simple yet meaningful centerpieces, such as Anchor Hitch’s Bonsai trees representing their environmentally-conscious and one-with-nature cuisine style.
Other restaurants exhibited extravagant 5-foot decorations filled with hanging fruits, vegetables and flowers. Some even displayed delicate and impactful flowers, such as poppies, known as a symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime. Antonello Ristorante even featured a plethora of live Beta fish in their magnificent centerpiece, while Nick’s Restaurants’ tall flower chandelier featured Illumination Foundation’s symbolic “IF,” representing the foundation’s mission of shedding light on the growing homeless population and a flame of hope those in the ballroom give to our most vulnerable homeless families and children.
Illumination Foundation is currently working on acquiring the land and garnering partnerships to build a new emergency house in the coming year, which is expected to house over 200 homeless families with children.
Follow Greer on Pinterest
from the blog
- 04.29.26 – Alabaster International Debuts in OC with ‘Her Light & Legacy’
- 04.29.26 – ILYA Welcomes Sunday Brunch to San Clemente
- 04.28.26 – Riverdance 30 Brings a New Generation to Segerstrom Center
- 04.27.26 – Mother’s Day Style: Matching Moments for Moms and Minis at Famous Footwear
- 04.27.26 – March for Babies Returns to Irvine May 2
- 04.25.26 – Classic Packards Take Center Stage in Newport Beach
- 04.23.26 – Spring Menu Arrives at The Park Club California
- 04.23.26 – Mastro’s Plans Mother’s Day Brunch in Irvine and Costa Mesa
- 04.23.26 – SpiceQuest Brings the Heat Home
- 04.20.26 – Honda Center Serves Up Playoff-Ready Menu for Ducks Fans
- 04.17.26 – A Night of Fashion and Giving in Newport Beach
- 04.13.26 – A Night at Knife Pleat Paired With South Coast Repertory’s Eat Me
- 04.13.26 – Sender One Expands With New Aliso Viejo Location
- 04.13.26 – Bluewater Grill Celebrates 30 Years With New Seafood Cookbook
- 04.13.26 – SOMBR Brings Fall Arena Tour to Anaheim’s Honda Center in October
- 04.12.26 – A Film Festival Putting Neurodivergent Talent Front and Center
- 04.08.26 – Rove Costa Mesa Now Open With Fast Charging and Lounge
- 04.05.26 – Floral Park Home & Garden Tour Returns April 25–26
- 04.03.26 – Earth Month Eco Challenge Returns to Discovery Cube Orange County
- 04.01.26 – Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: How to Think About the Choice
More Daily Doses
- 04.29.26 – Mother’s Day Dining Across Orange County
- 04.29.26 – La La Land Kind Cafe Grand Opening at Irvine Spectrum
- 04.28.26 – A New Chapter for Zov’s in San Clemente
- 04.24.26 – J Ruby: A Colorful Creative Find in South Laguna
- 04.23.26 – A Coastal Spa Experience Arrives at Surf & Sand Laguna Beach
- 04.23.26 – David Spade Takes The Lido Theater Stage
- 04.20.26 – Arrive in Style. Leave the Driving to Us.
- 04.19.26 – Candace Bushnell Brings One-Woman Show to South Coast Repertory
- 04.18.26 – A Coastal Weekend of Wine, Food and Ocean Views
- 04.16.26 – Icons of Napa Valley Wine Dinner Returns to Henry’s Coastal Cuisine
- 04.13.26 – An Evening of Connection and Compassion in Aliso Viejo
- 04.08.26 – A Mother’s Day Gathering with Costa Mesa History
- 04.06.26 – Spring in Full Bloom at South Coast Plaza
- 04.05.26 – Taste of Napa Comes to Huntington Beach and Returns to Napa Valley
- 04.01.26 – A Taste of Italy Arrives in Corona del Mar
- 03.30.26 – STAUD Arrives at South Coast Plaza
- 03.27.26 – South Coast Plaza Easter Dining Picks
- 03.26.26 – Easter Brunch and Dining in Orange County
- 03.26.26 – OC Fashion Week Arrives at My Sister’s Closet With Designer Adolfo Sánchez
- 03.19.26 – Highball and Naisho Omakase Debut in Costa Mesa With a First-of-Its-Kind Dual Concept
