BATON ROUGE — LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri and his wife, Karen, are serving as the honorary chair-couple for the 25th Capital Chefs’ Showcase, the fundraising event held to benefit Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge.
Twenty-seven chefs and caterers are providing dishes for tasting by guests at the silver anniversary gala at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6 at the Holiday Inn Select on Constitution Avenue. Tickets are $100 per person and may be purchased by calling (225) 927-2273.
In addition to the lavish continuous buffet, the gala will include a silent auction, a raffle for diamond stud earrings valued at $5,000 donated by Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, an open bar, dancing and a door prize of a weekend rental from Paretti Jaguar of Baton Rouge.
“Karen and I are so honored to have been asked to serve as the chair-couple for such a meaningful event,” Mainieri said. “In the 14 months we have been in Baton Rouge, we have been touched by the warmth of this community and the charitable spirit of its people. We hope our community will rally its support around Capital Chefs’ Showcase because it benefits a vital organization. Cancer Services has provided comfort to so many families and impacted their lives in a positive manner.”
“So many lives are touched by cancer, and some organizations conduct research on their behalf, and some provide medical treatment. Cancer Services fills in all the gaps,” the organization’s director, Mimi Rich? said. “We are the only community-based agency in our 10-parish area committed exclusively to improving the lives of people living with cancer. We couldn’t fill in the gaps if it weren’t for the generous community support of the Capital Chefs’ Showcase.”
Riche’ said 85 cents of every dollar raised through the showcase goes directly to programs and services in the community.
Cancer Services, which began in 1959, is funded by Capital Area United Way, donations, special events, grants and bequests, according to development director Connie Caldwell. The organization does not receive any government funding, Medicare, Medicaid or insurance reimbursements for any of the services it provides.
Its 16 employees and 180 volunteers help patients and their families in Ascension, Iberville, Livingston, St. James, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee and St. Helena parishes.