Grammy Winner Will Sing at Los Angeles Autism Benefit Event Hosted by Conan O’Brien
Not only will it be a star-studded event, but the Autism Speaks to Los Angeles Celebrity Chef Gala will help generate money for a very worthwhile cause. The event is to be held on October 8 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and hosted by Conan O’Brien. Other celebrities on hand include Al Roker. A VIP cocktail reception catered by renown chef Wolfgang Puck will begin at 6:30 and will feature 100 award-winning celebrity chefs who will create their exclusive four-course meals for their specific guests right at tableside.
UPDATE 10/7: Giada De Laurentiis, Al Roker and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti among the names recently added to this sold out event.
Some of the award-winning chefs that’ll be showing off their culinary talents to attendees include include Antonia Lofaso – Scopa Italian Roots; Art Smith – Table Fifty-Two; Ben Ford – Ford’s Filling Station; Brian Malarkey – Herringbone; Govind Armstrong – Post & Beam; Jet Tila – Food Network; Joachim Splichal – Patina; Josiah Citrin – Mélisse; Mary Sue Milliken – Border Grill; Michael Voltaggio – Ink.; Nancy Silverton – Osteria Mozza; Neal Fraser – Redbird, and many others. To keep things interesting, no tables will offer the same menu.
This star-studded gala also includes a “Fund-a-mission” auction, where guests can bid to support autistic children summer camps, the MSSNG genome research program, and iPads for individuals with difficulty communicating. To add to the evening’s festivities, Pink will perform “Crystal Ball” with co-writer Billy Mann, who is a national board member of Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. Toyota will also debut their new emission-friendly Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle emitting nothing but water vapor.
This event is held to honor co-founders of Autism Speaks, Suzanne and Bob Wright for a 10-year anniversary since the organization’s beginning. Mr. Wright is the former vice chairman of GE and CEO of NBC and NBC Universal. During the last 10 years, Autism Speaks has helped raise nearly $8 million and has committed $560 million to its mission of funding research into prevention, causes, treatments, raising awareness, and advocating for individuals with autism and their families. Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in almost 100 cities across the country and the organization’s reach has spanned globally with partnerships in more than 70 countries, as well. According to the organization, autism now affects one in 68 children in the United States, including one in 42 boys.
To purchase tickets and see the full list of participating chefs you can visit autismspeaks.org/lachefgala.