AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

TASTE OF HOPE
11TH ANNUAL EVENT

HONORING

HOSTED BY
CHRIS WRAGGE AND RICHARD KIND

New York, April 2016: The American Cancer Society is hosting its 11th annual Taste of Hope event on Wednesday, May 25th, 2016 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. The prominent culinary, wine, and spirits event features some of New York’s most popular restaurants, chefs and beverage vendors. Guests enjoy a walk-around tasting where they can sample trademark dishes, premier wines and spirits, and inventive cocktails. The event will also feature a silent auction where guests can bid on selected items exclusively offered to Taste of Hope.

This year Taste of Hope is thrilled to present Culinary Honoree and award-winning celebrity chef David Burke, Corporate Honoree and Owner of Myriad Restaurant Group Drew Nieporent and Philanthropic Honoree and Author Jean Shafiroff. Past Honorees include 2012 Culinary Honoree Chef Todd English, 2013 Culinary Honoree Chef Marc Murphy, 2014 Culinary Honoree Chef Elizabeth Falkner and 2015 Survivor Honoree Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal. The 2016 Taste of Hope event is hosted by Chris Wragge and Richard Kind.

Now in its 11th year, the event is presented annually by the Taste of Hope volunteer committee and has raised over $1.5 Million to support the American Cancer Society’s mission and goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Like previous years, the event is expected to gather around 800 – 1,000 affluent epicureans and philanthropists from the New York Metro area. This year’s event is hosted by event chairs Mark D. Friedman & Jamie Koff and the 2016 Taste of Hope Volunteer Committee.

The event offers VIP tickets for $275 per ticket and General Admission tickets for $200 per ticket. Guests also have an option to purchase a VIP table of ten people for $3,000 or a VIP table of five for $1,500. For those with VIP tickets, the event starts at 6:00pm, while those with general admission tickets are welcome from 7:00pm onwards.

Restaurant and beverage participants include AG Kitchen, Almond, BLT Prime, Calle Ocho, Fresco By Scotto, La Fonda Del Sol, Luke’s Lobster, Magnolia Bakery, Nobu New York, Rock Center Café, STK Downtown, Telepan, Todd English, Triomphe, Voilà Chocolat and many more. Approximately 50 participating restaurants and beverage sponsors will be represented at the event.

Corporate sponsors of the event are Allstate, Don Q Rum, Eurostruct Inc, Freshdirect, Gentle Giant, Halstead Property, Sabert, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, UHY LLP, Umenoyado, Vinitaly International and Wine Spectator.

About Honoree David Burke:
Blurring the lines between chef, artist, entrepreneur and inventor, world-renowned chef David Burke is one of the leading pioneers in American cooking today. His fascination with ingredients and the art of the meal has fueled a thirty-year career marked by creativity, critical acclaim and the introduction of revolutionary products and cooking techniques.

Burke’s innovations and revolutionizing techniques appear on menus all over the world, including Pastrami Salmon (now available through Acme Smoked Fish), flavored oils and tuna tartare, GourmetPops, ready-to-serve cheesecake lollipops. Additionally, Burke is actively involved with culinology, an approach to food that blends the culinary arts and food technology. In 2011, Burke received the ultimate honor presented to inventors: a United States patent. It was awarded to him for the unique process by which he uses pink Himalayan salt to dry-age his steaks for up to 100 days and led to the citing of David Burke’s Primehouse in Chicago as the number one steakhouse in Chicago and the United States.

Over the years, Chef Burke has become one of the most recognized chefs on television, including appearances on two seasons of Top Chef Masters, a guest spot on the Every Day with Rachael Ray show, NBC’s TODAY Show, Bloomberg’s small-business television series The Mentor, and more. In addition, Burke has published two cookbooks, Cooking With David Burke (1999) and David Burke’s New American Classics (2006) co-written by Judith Choate.

About Honoree Drew Nieporent:
Drew Nieporent is the founder of the famed Myriad Restaurant Group. Over the last 30 years, he has opened 36 acclaimed restaurants, including Tribeca Grill, Nobu New York, Nobu Fifty Seven, Nobu London, Nobu Next Door, Citi Field’s Acela Club and Madison Square Garden’s Daily Burger, as well as Crush Wine & Spirits. His latest restaurant, Bâtard, earned three-star ratings from The New York Times and New York Magazine, a coveted Michelin star (2014 and 2015), and the James Beard Foundation award for Best New Restaurant.

Drew has received James Beard awards for Outstanding Restaurateur (2009) and Humanitarian of the Year (2000). He is involved with dozens of charities including Citymeals on Wheels, Garden of Dreams, Food Allergy Research & Education and DIFFA.

About Honoree Jean Shafiroff:
Jean Shafiroff is a volunteer fundraiser, leader and spokesperson for several charitable causes; the spectrum of Shafiroff’s philanthropic work includes improving the lives of underserved populations, women’s rights and well-being, health care, animal welfare and resources for children in need, in addition to other causes. Jean serves on the boards of New York City Mission Society, New York Women’s Foundation, French Heritage Society, Couture Council (Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology), Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (20+ years), Southampton Animal Shelter Honorary Board, and Southampton Bath & Tennis Club’s Charitable Foundation.

Widely recognized for her philanthropic work, Jean has been recognized and featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Gotham Magazine, The New York Times, New York Social Diary, Avenue, Hamptons Magazine, and The Huffington Post, among others. Jean holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University and a BS in physical therapy from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has worked both in public finance and private partnerships on Wall Street. Prior to that, she was a physical therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City. Jean is married to Martin Shafiroff, an investment advisor, and together they have two daughters, Jacqueline and Elizabeth, who share their mother’s interest in charitable causes. Jean and her family reside in both New York City and Southampton, NY.

About Taste of Hope and The American Cancer Society:
Taste of Hope, American Cancer Society’s signature culinary, wine and spirit tasting soirée continues to shine as one of Spring’s top events in New York. Since inception, Taste of Hope has raised more than $1.5 million to support the American Cancer Society’s mission and goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem. On the evening of Wednesday, May 25th, 2016 the 11th annual Taste of Hope will take place at Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street), the evening will be filled with bites from more than 50 restaurants and sips from leading winemakers and spirit brands. VIP tickets with early entry at 6:00pm are $275 and tickets for general admission at 7:00pm are $200 – on sale now at www.tasteofhopenyc.org

For over 100 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has worked relentlessly to save lives and create a world with less cancer. Together with millions of their supporters worldwide, ACS help people stay well and get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer. The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the ACS has regional and local offices throughout the country that support 11 geographical Divisions to ensure they have a presence in every community. For more information about American Cancer Society, visit http://www.cancer.org