The evening you’ve been waiting for all year is finally back – the 9th annual Chef’s Night Out fundraising event for United Way of Lewis County. Chef’s Night Out is taking place at the Lucky Eagle Casino Event Center on Saturday, June 17 at 6:00 p.m.
This year’s participating Lewis County chefs are Darin Harris from Boccata Restaurant, Dawn Lawson from Dawn’s Delectables, Jeremy Wildhaber from Jeremy’s Farm to Table Restaurant, Donnie Stancil from McMenamin’s Olympic Club, Shane Wright from O’Blarney’s at the Gibson House and Frank Magana from Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.
“Nine years ago when we were talking about doing a major fundraiser for United Way, we wanted to come up with something really out of the box – not just another dinner and auction,” says Angela French, resource development director for United Way of Lewis County. “We love what this event has grown into, and that’s a community event that showcases local chef talent. The community is really involved and they love it. We get people asking us all the time about when this year’s event will be and what the theme is going to be – it keeps us on our toes.”
What sets this event apart from other dinner and auction fundraisers is the Top Chef Competition. Each of the six participating chefs will be creating a savory and a sweet sampling for attendees to try. Next, guests will vote on which dish was their favorite. New this year, the voting will be blind – so guests will not know which chef made which dishes. There is also a judging panel that will be tasting the dishes earlier in the evening and picking their favorites as well. Two awards will then be given out, People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice.
This year’s theme is Havana Nights, and the organizers have gone all-out to ensure a fun evening of Latin American delights. There will be Cuban music, a rum bar and elegant decor that will transport you to a Caribbean paradise. Guests are encouraged to dress-up with the theme. Five of the six chefs participating in the competition will be serving up Cuban-inspired dishes. “I know there is going to be food at the event that guests will never have tasted before,” Angela says. “So it’s going to be a really unique culinary experience. The chefs are really stepping it up.”
After the Top Chef Competition, Lucky Eagle will have additional food available for guests to snack on during the silent auction portion of the program. This year’s silent auction has 15 very unique items that cannot be found anywhere else, including:
- Punta Cana Caribbean paradise trip: A four-night stay at the Westin Punta Cana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic with airfare for two.
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Last year’s event had a Hollywood theme and United Way went all out to make sure guests received the star-studded treatment. Photo courtesy: United Way of Lewis County Napa Valley South of North Adventure: Napa Valley winery tours, gourmet lunch, chauffeur and Westin Verasa three-night stay for two.
- Gourmet dinner for eight, compliments of the chef: A private, four-course dinner for four couples in the Room 118 Steak House at the Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel prepared by the executive chef. This includes an overnight stay, menu selection and wine pairings.
- Luxurious spa getaway for a day for six: A day at the Derma Medical Spa in Olympia, including Derma’s Elite facial, 60-minute Swedish massage, catered lunch, champagne service and sway bag.
- Progressive dinner for six. A progressive meal (i.e. you eat at one restaurant for appetizers, one for entrée, etc.) with the six participating restaurants of Chef’s Night Out.
Helping United Way Help the Community
United Way’s mission is to lift families out of poverty, so they fund local programs to help better the lives of those in need in Lewis County. Some of those programs include the Housing Resource Center, local food banks, early learning programs and parent involvement programs.
Between the ticket sales and silent auction items, Chef’s Night Out has raised more than $300,000 over the last eight years. This money has helped thousands of children and families in Lewis County achieve their full potential and lead healthy, productive lives. By attending the event, each guest is a part of this amazing work. And so are the chefs.
“When you talk to the chefs, they say it’s a way they can give back to the community, they love doing it,” Angela says. “And it’s a way we get to support them in return. I remember the first year Dawn from Dawn’s Delectables participated. She won one of the awards and told us that she had to hire more staff because of the exposure she got from Chef’s Night Out. We love stories like this because that’s why we are here, to support the community.”
In addition, United Way gets local business sponsors who make the night possible. “This event would not be possible without our sponsors,” Angela says. “The amount of support that we get from the business community to put this on is amazing.”
Around 300 people attend Chef’s Night Out each year, and tickets do sell out, so it’s a good idea to purchase early. Guests must be 21 or older. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online at the United Way of Lewis County’s website or by calling 360-748-8100.
Major sponsors for this year’s event include: Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel, Pacific Mobile Structures, Inc., Title Guaranty Company of Lewis County, Callisons, Port Blakely Tree Farms, SCJ Alliance, Port of Centralia, Washington Orthopaedics, Sierra Pacific Industries and other companies from around the area.
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