Garces Foundation 10th Anniversary Fundraiser for Immigrant Communities to Return with 3 Dozen Restaurants

The Garces Foundation will present the return of the 10th Food Fest and Fundraiser on Thursday, September 29, 2022, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, at Live! Hotel and Casino. James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces will host the best food showcase of the fall with three dozen top chefs and restaurants from around the region for an evening filled with dishes, drinks, live music, dancing, photo opportunities, exclusive auctions and other surprises. Guests will enjoy unlimited bites and sips while they mix and mingle for a great cause - to help provide food, medical care and educational services to Philadelphia's immigrant community. For the event's return, Garces will showcase culinary offerings from Amada, Volver, Buena Onda, The Olde Bar, Village Whiskey, Hook and Master and Garces Trading Company. Garces restaurants will be joined by Izakaya by Yanaga, Bridget Foy's, Dim Sum House by Jane G's, Restaurant Aleksandar, Forsythia, Rex at the Royal, Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft, Fork, Wilder, A Mano and many others. Drinks will be provided courtesy of Yards Brewing Company, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Ampel Wine and Stateside Vodka. All proceeds benefit the Garces Foundation to make a life-changing difference for immigrant families. Tickets are on sale now for $150 for general admission, $200 for VIP and $295 for VIP and After Party. For tickets and more information about the Foundation, visit https://www.garcesfoundation.org/annual-event

"I'm excited to bring some of Philadelphia's finest chefs together in one room again in support of the Garces Foundation and the important work it does in the community," said Chef Garces. "Although the restaurant industry has faced ongoing challenges, it's amazing to see the continued outpouring of support from our chef community and its willingness to give back. I've been thrilled to see the continued support for our work. Thank you to the supporting restaurants, chefs and our generous sponsors."

Garces added, "Since its start, the Garces Foundation has focused on ensuring that our immigrant neighbors, particularly those working in the hospitality industry, have access to the support they need in order to thrive in their communities and their lives. We started the organization following the death of one of my cooks from thyroid cancer. A life was lost due to a lack of access to medical care. We realized that it was vitally important to ensure that Philadelphia's underserved immigrant community has access to health and educational services."

The Garces Foundation Food Fest and Fundraiser will return this fall after a pandemic break and feature a brand new venue, a new line-up of restaurants and the same amazing cause. Guests will be wined and dined with a who's who of the Philadelphia region culinary scene - with bites and sips from the following line-up for 2022:

A Mano
Amada
Ampel Wine
Bredenbeck's
Bridget Foy's
Buena Onda
BurgertimeNJ
Dim Sum House by Jane G's
French Toast Bites by Lokal Artisan Foods
Garces Trading Company
Forsythia
Fork Restaurant
Hook & Master
Izakaya by Yanaga
Lola's Garden
On Point Bistro
Restaurant Aleksandar
Rex at the Royal
Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft
Stateside Vodka
Tabachoy Philly
The Olde Bar
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Tuck-ins
Village Whiskey
Volver
Wilder Restaurant
Yards Brewing Company
Plus Additional Restaurants to Be Announced!

While guests mix and mingle - and sample and sip - they will enjoy live music and dancing with Snacktime - one of Philadelphia's favorite party bands. Festivities will also include a wine pull, photo booths and a live/silent auction.

The highlights of this year's auction include a once-in-a-lifetime dinner for ten prepared by James Beard Award-winning chefs Marc Vetri, Greg Vernick and Jose Garces, plus a dinner prepared by Christina Martinez and Jose Garces for the winner and friends. Chef Martinez of South Philly Barbacoa has a long list of accomplishments and accolades, most recently winning a James Beard Award. The dinner will be held at Chef Garces' brand new food lab and private cooking studio.

Other exciting feature items in the auction include "Being a Chef for the Day" at Forsythia where you will spend an afternoon in Forsythia's kitchen with Chef Chris Kearse followed by dinner in the restaurant enjoying the food you prepared together. Biggers can wine a whiskey tasting for four at Village Whiskey, a wine sommelier guided experience for eight people featuring eight bottles of rare and expensive red wines and a charcuterie board from DiBruno Brothers, Phillies tickets, harp lessons, spa experiences, restaurant experiences and so much more.

Dress to impress. Guests are encouraged to dress in cocktail attire and come ready to celebrate our region's food scene - all for a great cause. "We just spent the last two years staying in and dressing casual. This is one of the best parties of the year, and it's a great excuse to get dressed up and hit the town," added Garces.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the important work of the Garces Foundation, which provides crucial food, healthcare, education, and dental services to our immigrant neighbors in Philadelphia. The vision of the Garces Foundation is a city in which everyone, including recent immigrants, have the support they need to enjoy the highest possible quality of life and contribute meaningfully as members of the community.

The Latin-American immigrant community faces considerable healthcare accessibility hurdles, which are exacerbated by limitations to necessary educational services that teach English proficiency. Philadelphia's Spanish-speaking immigrants struggle to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers, and often have trouble obtaining health insurance, and accessing healthcare.

The Garces Foundation provides these services to the immigrant community through community health days, English language classes targeted toward the restaurant industry, and most recently, an increased focus on procuring and providing food supplies to the food-insecure.

"I am so incredibly proud of, and grateful for, our loyal staff of volunteers and directors that are on the ground daily, ensuring that our mission at the Garces Foundation is getting accomplished," said Garces. "From running medical and dental clinics, to engaging in English language learning programs."

Garces concluded, "Thanks to the support of the community, the Garces Foundation has provided more than $350,000 worth of dental care to over 900 patients in 2021, and fed nearly 20,000 families since the start of the pandemic. Still there is so much more to do. Please join us."

Celebrate and toast the region's culinary scene while giving back! Tickets are on sale now for $150 for general admission, which includes food and drinks from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Early access tickets are on sale for $200 and includes access starting at 6:00pm. VIP Early Access and Exclusive After-Party Tickets include early admission at 6:00pm, plus a special after-party at the 10th St Market in the casino, where guests will enjoy more food, more sweets, and wind down the evening in style. The after-party runs from 9:00pm to 11:00pm.

For more information visit https://www.garcesfoundation.org/annual-event, follow @garcesfoundation and call (267) 284-7905.

ABOUT GARCES FOUNDATION

In 2010, a young man named Felipe came to Dr. Garces, thin, tired, and dying of thyroid cancer.

He had been working as a butcher at Tinto, and for months, his coworkers watched his health deteriorate. Despite their concern and questions about his well-being, Felipe waved them away insisting that he was fine, convinced that it was nothing and would pass. Finally, after standing through work shifts on one leg because of the pain, two co-workers brought him to Dr. Garces's dental office. They didn't know where else to go.

Years earlier, Felipe's cousin had been in a car accident and had sought help at a hospital emergency room. Because he did not have his papers, he was promptly deported back to Mexico. Scared that this might also happen to him and unaware of where to seek help, Felipe suffered through a long and painful illness that spread from his thyroid, to his bones, to his other vital organs.

Dr. Garces could see right away that Felipe was critically ill. She took him to the emergency department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. For a year, Dr. Garces stayed by his side, through surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, doing everything she could for him.

Unfortunately, it was too late for 26-year-old Felipe. A disease that could have been treated with a thyroid removal procedure had gone unseen for too long because of limited access to proper medical care for immigrants. Felipe and his community didn't know where to find the resources to get help or if there even were such resources. In July 2011, Dr. Garces helped Felipe return to Mexico where he could be with his family and see his ten-year-old daughter once more before he died.

The Garces Foundation was founded in memory of Felipe with the purpose of ensuring that the immigrant community has access to and knows where to find the resources they deserve to live healthy, educated, nutritious lives. We believe everyone should have access to the affordable healthcare and educational resources they need.

ABOUT DR. BEATRIZ GARCES

Dr. Beatriz Garces was born in Havana, Cuba. She moved to Miami, Florida in 1994 to acquire her Bachelors in Biology at Florida International University. She then attended Temple University School of Dentistry for her Dental Medicine Degree in 2002. In 2003, Dr. Garces earned her Certificate for General Practice Residency at Christiana Care in Wilmington, Delaware. In addition to owning her own practice, The Garces Dental Group, she is a board member for Puentes De Salud and a part-time faculty clinician for the Dental Health Center at Delaware Technical Community College (Wilmington, Delaware), Christiana Care Hospital (Newark, Delaware) and at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). In 2012, Dr. Beatriz Garces founded the Garces Foundation in order to improve access to the resources available to the Philadelphia immigrant community.

ABOUT CHEF JOSE GARCES

Iron Chef, father, husband, James Beard Award-winner, entrepreneur, and food innovator, Chef Jose Garces is known as a leading culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food. From the Spanish tapas at Amada, his first restaurant, to the playful Japanese street food at Okatshe in Atlantic City, Chef Garces continually pushes the boundaries of culinary excellence.

While he maintains his successful career owning and operating full-service restaurants, Chef Garces is also looking toward the future, with an increased focus on bringing restaurant-quality experiences to the homes and businesses of culinary enthusiasts in new and interesting ways. From enhanced home delivery options and virtual online cooking demos, to live online cooking classes, Chef Garces is excited to connect with both fans of his work on television, as well as the home cook who would like to experience "chef life" in their own kitchen. Chef Garces is the author of two cookbooks, Latin Evolution and The Latin Road Home, published by Lake Isle Press. To learn more, please visit, www.chefgarces.com or follow him on social media on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

ABOUT GARCES

Garces is a Philadelphia-based hospitality group specializing in personal dining experiences rooted in the rich cultural traditions and culinary vision of renowned Latin-American chef Jose Garces. Taking a heartfelt and creative approach to time-honored recipes and dishes, Garces, in partnership with New Orleans- based Ballard Brands, operates numerous restaurants including Amada, Tinto, Village Whiskey, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda and Garces Trading Company in Philadelphia, and Amada and Distrito in the Ocean Resort Casino. The group also operates Garces Events, a full-service catering and event division; the Garces Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to Philadelphia's underserved immigrant community. For more information, visit GarcesGroup.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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