Chefs serve up fundraising for animal-welfare organization

Food and animal lovers can come together next month for an event that helps the city’s largest no-kill shelter continue to save the lives of local animals. 

Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society will host Chefs’ Night for PAWS Oct. 2 at Skybox, 2424 E. York St. The event will feature food and cocktails from several dozen of the city’s top restaurants, presented in a tasting format.

PAWS Executive Director Melissa Levy noted that the agency previously hosted a culinary fundraiser in the form of a sit-down dinner, and wanted to change up the structure this year. 

“The Chefs’ Dinner was more formal and we wanted to do something fresh and new,” Levy said. “This is more of a tasting event where guests can enjoy food from all the restaurants. There’s so much wonderful food in Philadelphia and so many chefs who are so supportive of our mission and are animal lovers themselves.”

This year’s venue is also new. 

“Skybox is a really cool event space so we’re looking forward to hosting it there for the first time,” Levy said. 

The tasting sections will be grouped according to the neighborhood in which the restaurants are located: Midtown Village, Rittenhouse Square, Old City, Passyunk, Fishtown and Fairmount. Participating chefs include out restaurateurs Marcie Turney of Jamonera and Joncarl Lachman of Noord. 

In addition to Jamonera, participating Gayborhood venues include Vedge, El Vez, Brü, Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro, Franky Bradley’s and Opa.

A handful of noted chefs from neighborhoods outside the six will offer dishes in a VIP lounge. VIP ticketholders will also have access to a one-hour preview, in which they can sample selections and mix and mingle with the chefs, and an after-party. 

Levy said the food offerings will satisfy people of all tastes.

“We certainly will have something for everyone,” she said. “We asked all the restaurants to remember this is an animal-welfare fundraiser so we’ll have a lot of vegetarians and vegans at the event. We’re promising something for everybody, with a nice range of food.” 

For more information or tickets, visit http://bit.ly/2wDPbrW.

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