March of Dimes hosted their annual Signature Chefs Auction on November 17, or World Prematurity Day. The Signature Chefs Auction is an event that assembles top local chefs together to showcase their culinary skills to the public during a silent and live auction. Over 350 people attended the affair, which took place at The Hines Center in Philpot.
“It’s an intimate, entertaining night for all who attend. The chefs are able to directly communicate with those who dine. With the rapidly growing ‘foodie trend,’ I think a lot of people really enjoyed themselves,” said Brandi Keller, March of Dimes community director.
The event was catered by local restaurants: Another Broken Egg Café, Bee Bop’s, Bill’s, Campbell Club, Chef’s Kitchen, Dalishas Desserts, Famous Bistro, Fetta, Fire Up the Grill, Lure, The Miller House, Moonlite, Niko’s Italian Cuisine, Pangea, Old Hickory Bar-B-Q and Shogun. In support, many local businesses, including US Bank and Swedish Match, sponsored the event
The live auction attracted many generous bidders with travel packages, including the always popular Orlando Disney Dream Vacation package and a Wine Tour through Southern Indiana package. The silent auction also managed to raise substantial bids due to a variety of smaller trips and gift packages.
The evening included introducing the 2015 March of Dimes Ambassador family, The Adcock Family. “The ambassador family is a family that is promoted throughout the year because they have been touched by March of Dimes,” explained Amy Nonweiler, March of Dimes division director.
The event concluded with awarding US Bank’s Michele Murphy with the 2015 Leadership Award. The award is given out each year to a volunteer who goes above and beyond to support March of Dimes. A special thanks was also extended to US Bank community President, Fred May, who served as the 2015 Event Chair.
At the end of the evening, March of Dimes raised a record-breaking $40,000. Primarily, most of the funds will be donated to research. The March of Dimes mission is “to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.”
The funds will also go to various other aspects of maternal and child healthcare. Nonweiler added, “We work closely with the local hospital. The funds raised go toward community grants, community outreach programs, prenatal classes and much more.”
Brandi Keller, community director, added, “While research is really important, March of Dimes also donates a big portion to advocacy and education regarding infant health.”
“The event has experienced a tremendous growth since the first auction in 2011,” said Nonweiler. “We’ve received a great deal of support from the community through local businesses and volunteers. We couldn’t do it without them. It’s great to know we work alongside a community that supports maternal and child health.”
For more information about March of Dimes call 270-683-2410, find them on Facebook or visit the national website at marchofdimes.org.
