Local Make-A-Wish chapter cooks up a memorable fundraiser

Michael’s On East was the epitome of organized chaos Feb. 23 when the ballroom was packed for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida’s most lively fundraiser: Cooking for Wishes.

The interactive luncheon gives guests the opportunity to not only eat, drink and be merry but also to make their own dishes at their table with the help of Phil Mancini, Jamil Pineda and the Michael’s On East serving staff.

This year’s event was themed “A Taste of the Hawaiian Islands” so the dishes were all inspired by the tropics. For a first course, guests enjoyed Hawaiian shell fish stew made with sauteed shrimp, green lip mussels and calamari in a coconut spiced clam broth. The second course featured a Hawaiian chicken with basmati rice, and the third course was a shoyu chop steak. To top is all off, everyone dined on pineapple colada flambe for dessert.

Event-goers were reminded of why they were there for the fun afternoon when Regional Director of Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida Rebecca Blitz stood up to explain some of the wishes that have recently been granted to seriously ill children in Sarasota and Manatee Counties: a swingset, a bike for a double amputee, a trip to meet the Pope and many more.

Guests also got the chance to bid on several silent auctions items to raise money for more wishes — including  a weekend with a Porsche — as well as several live auction items ranging from a weekend getaway at Bluebird Cove Lodge in North Carolina to a Mekong River Cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia.