Even the heavy rain did not dampen the spirits of Big Sister supporters who gathered at Radius on April 22nd for our thirteenth annual Celebrity Chef Dinner. 113 guests were in attendance to sample the creations of six talented Boston chefs. Michael Schlow (owner of Radius, celebrated chef, and long-time supporter of Big Sister) hosted the event in his fun and modern Financial District-based restaurant.
Chef Ting Yen (Oishii) started the dinner off with a sashimi sampler, which included seared tuna with grilled French jumbo white asparagus, cannonball grape with sea bass and black garlic, crispy salmon, and hamachi with jalepeno. Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger) provided the second course: olive poached salmon in a spring pea soup served with pea salad drizzled with citrus truffle vinaigrette. The third course came courtesy of Evan Deluty (Stella), who served spring vegetable risotto with rock shrimp, crispy leeks, and lemon. The next dish was rabbit rotolo, with parsley root, asparagus, carrot, morel mushrooms, and crispy prosciutto, expertly prepared by Leo Asaro (Via Matta). Radius’s own Brendan Joy served the fifth course, which was a strube ranch wagyu served with miso, carrots, petite onions, and bordelaise. PJ Waters, also of Radius, completed the meal with a dessert of chocolate textures—espresso, cherry, Brazil nut, and malted milk glace.
After listening to former Little Sister Linda Brennan, guests heard from CEO Deborah Re about Big Sister Association’s role in the mentoring relationships and how guests can support our work. “We can help create the Boston it can be. Not just for some, but for all.” Together, attendees donated $62,000 during our annual “Matchmaker Challenge” appeal, sponsoring 62 girls on the wait list. Jim Speros, Big Sister board member and Chief Marketing Officer at Fidelity, took two girls off our wait list. “My wife and I like to say that as parents our job is to give our children roots and wings; they need both,” said Jim. “Big Sister can give girls wings, and a chance to soar.” Altogether the event raised $157,000, which will enable Big Sister to serve 157 more girls this year.
At the end of the evening, the late Peter Yozell was recognized for his generosity and support of Big Sister. Peter recently passed away, and this year’s dinner was dedicated to his memory. Peter’s wife Jeanne, former Executive Director of Big Sister, was in attendance along with their son John Yozell (a member of Big Sister’s Board of Directors) and his wife Abby.
We would like to thank Chef Michael Schlow and the six celebrity chefs for an amazing dinner. A special thank you also goes out to event co-chairs Sharon McNally and Max Bardeen, as well as event sponsors The Connors Family Office, Beth and Max Bardeen, Denise and Marc Casper, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, EMC Corporation, Holly McGrath and David Bruce, PGR Media, and The Yozell Family.
