Story by Mary Martin. Photos by Katie Kelton.
This past weekend, Host Chef Matthew McAllister, along with 26 other local chefs, provided an all-star experience at the latest fundraising event for the Dallas 24-Hour Club. The food-centric evening drew a record crowd of supporters eager to try a new bite while supporting the crucial work of providing a safe transitional home for men and women who are making the choice of sobriety.
One of the featured chefs, Josh Sutcliff, served up a dish of rice porridge with confit chicken and a four-herb salsa verde using herbs locally sourced from Profound Microfarms. Previously the executive chef at Mirador, Chef Josh has started his own hospitality group, Ship Shape Hospitality Concepts. To him, the All Star Chef Classic is a reminder that substance misuse does not need to be the default for the restaurant industry. “This is an incredible event to spread the word about sobriety, especially in the restaurant industry,” said Josh. We can all relate to the issue of substance abuse whether we have struggled with sobriety or not. There is a push for people in our industry to live a better, more balanced work life. It is still a problem, but you can see that people want to live healthy lives.”
During the event guests had several hours to mingle and visit more than two dozen chef stations to taste decadent dishes like BBQ brisket, various pies, lobster mac and cheese, and apple cider. Between sets from the Georgia Bridgwater Band, event chairs Vicki and Bruce Stensrud and Cindy and David Brewer shared about the impact 24-hour club has made in 2019, helping more than 700 people find stable housing and employment after experiencing homelessness and addiction. Lee Ann and Steve Van Amburgh were honored for their work in helping to build the newest 24-Hour Club housing facility, which opened in 2018.
All of the funds raised at the 2019 event will help cover the operating funds necessary to continue the work and mission of Dallas 24 Hour Club. If you would like to learn more about volunteering for the 24-Hour Club, or making a donation from their wish list, you can visit dallas24hourclub.org/get-involved.
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