Later this month, Philadelphians can enjoy an evening filled with culinary treats and charitable incentives.
The local nonprofit dedicated to the mental health and well-being of food and beverage industry workers, Cooks Who Care, has teamed up with The Pineapple Club for this evening, which will feature a large scale raffle with the chance to win food and drink-focused prizes from Philadelphia favorites.
The Pineapple Club was started by River Twice owner Amanda Rucker and Her Place Supper Club chef/owner Amanda Shulman, and the “informal community” held their first event back in September at Bok Bar. This second event however will be virtual, and takes place on March 30 with prizes spanning culinary-focused evenings spent at Forsythia, Ember & Ash, and June BYOB, and private classes from Holy ‘Que Smokehouse and Small Oven Pastry Shop.
Those who participate in the evening will help support the ‘Cooks Who Care Community Cookbook: Entertaining for Mental Health (Philly Edition)’, which was released digitally in December of last year. The book includes a variety of recipes and home entertainment ideas for cooks at any skill level and learning style. And as a release states, 100% of proceeds from book sales will benefit a community fund that will provide mini-grants for food service workers in the Greater Philadelphia Region who are in need of mental health support.
“The industry is incredibly blessed to have people like Amanda Rucker and Amanda Shulman, people who are willing to step up and make a difference, but this is just the beginning,” said Cooks Who Care co-founder Chef Maria Campbell in a statement. “We need all the support we can get to keep building momentum and enacting change.”
The evening will also feature a gift card bundle as part of the raffle, which includes gift certificates from local hotspots and fan-favorite destinations including (but not limited to) Juana Tamale, Oyster House, and Vernick. The release also says that more gift cards are being added to the bundle over time, so those interested should check regularly for updates and more raffle items may be added as well, pending further donations.
The raffle is acting as a joint counterpart with Cooks Who Care’s Break the Ice Nights—aka, a charitable series of dinners and experiences that began last month.
Like the event on March 30, these events highlight food and beverage offerings with a focus on informative commentary in relation to mental health conversation starters. There’s also cookbook samples from Chef Campbell to look forward to with these special evenings.
Participating business and events planned for Break the Ice Nights dinner nights include: Oloroso on Wednesday, March 15, then a Chef’s Counter Italian Dinner Paired with Staglin Wines at Cornerstone Bistro with chef-owner Christine Kandra in Wayne, on Thursday, March 19. Later this month on Wednesday, March 22, the series will offer karaoke at Jose Pistola’s, followed by an event on Saturday, March 25, featuring cooking demonstrations at Chabaa Thai Bistro. The final event will be on Tuesday, March 28, at Love City Brewing.
A portion of proceeds from all Break the Ice Night dinners (5-15% depending on event) will also benefit the print edition of the Community Cookbook and the growth of the community fund as well. And for those who are looking to purchase a copy, Cooks Who Care Community Cookbook: Entertaining for Mental Health’ (Philly Edition) is available to purchase and download on Amazon or directly through Cooks Who Care’s website.
For more information about the Cooks Who Care and Pineapple Club fundraising raffle, check sites.google.com, and for additional details pertaining to Cooks Who Care, check cookswhocare.org
