Eight of Chattanooga’s premier chefs will be creating their culinary magic while the lights of Broadway are glowing in the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center Saturday evening when the March of Dimes presents its 17th Annual Gourmet Gala.
This year’s theme is An Evening in the Park – A Broadway Retrospective and event organizers have established a fund raising goal of $200,000 which will be used primarily to purchase equipment for local Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
The March of Dimes is a national non-profit health organization whose mission it is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. According to local chapter director Belinda Whitten, one of every six babies born in Chattanooga is premature and/or has a low birth weight which ranks among the highest nationwide.
Connor Powell, son of Scott and Cindy Powell and Chloe Knight, daughter of Aaron and Melinda Knight were both born premature. Connor weighed two pounds and seven ounces and Chloe weighed one pound and eleven ounces. However, Connor and Chloe are thriving today and they and their families will be honored at the gala.
Ron and Sheila Ullenberg are the chaircouple and Dr. and Mrs. Howell Dalton are the co-chair couple. Mistresses of ceremonies are Fox 61 anchor Scottie Goodman and Mary Ellen Murphy.
The participating signature chefs are Colin Black of the Southside Café, Nathan Gaude from the Blue Water Grille, David Lescher of Pastaria, Daniel Lindley from St. John’s Restaurant and The Meeting Place, Michael McCullen of the Bonefish Grill, Erik Niel of Easy Seafood, Efren Ormaza from Terra Nostra and John Palacio of Porters Steak House.
The chefs are hoping to impress a six-member judges panel who will present seven awards at the gala’s conclusion. The judges are Paul Carideo of the Keith Mansion in Athens, The Magnolia Lamp Shoppe’s Susan Castle, Brian Hobbs from Horizon Wine and Spirit, Chattanooga State Wine Professor Brian Leutwiler, who is also from Riverside Wine and Spirit and the Greenlife Grocery, Becky Wilson of the Galleries at Southside and Jean Wilson of Sherrill’s Cakes, Catering and Flowers.
Several area vocalists and dancers will be performing Broadway classics throughout the evening and each guest will receive a specially created Playbill program.
The 27-member Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Show Choir directed by Mike Lees will be performing vocals from Grease, Les Miserables, Cats and A Chorus Line.
Fourteen dancers from the Karen Horton School will be featured in the salute to Oliver! Ms. Horton-Prestwood is the choreographer assisted by Jessica Grogan.
Miss Chattanooga 2007 Bobbie Marie Gregg and Brandon Bell will participate in the tribute to South Pacific. The songs from Jekyll and Hyde will be performed by former Miss Hamilton County Cara Allison Standifer, L. Gabriel Womack and Scott Fillers.
Choreographer Lindsay Fussell, Jessica LaLiberte-Bowman, Jasmine Au, Kasey Williams, Holli Hutson and Jeff Hill comprise the cast for the 42nd Street celebration while Abigale Maragus is the featured soloist in the Annie segment.
The Atlanta Sound Band will be the featured orchestra and Cindy Cornette will perform the opening number “Give My Regards to Broadway.”
The members of the Premier Design team that is transforming the Exhibit Hall into an interpretation of Central Park and Broadway are the aforementioned Mr. Hill of Jeff of All Trades, Delores Wolfe of Wolfe Studio Interiors, Stephen Walker of Stephen Walker Designs and Cheryl Simon of Silk Tree Petals and Ivy.
Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on several auction packages being sponsored by Brody Jewelers in Rossville, Cuscowilla, a noted residential golf course located at Georgia’s Lake Oconee, the Bonefish Grill, Kahuku, Hawaii’s Turtle Bay Resort and collaboration by Clive Christian of Atlanta, Ferguson Enterprises, Louisville Tile, Dakota Tile and Granite Warehouse.
Lexus of Chattanooga and Rossville Bank are the gala underwriters.