Food and Friends will be the theme of the 12th annual Celebration of Life event benefiting the O’Connor House, a nonprofit that provides a Christian home to help single, pregnant, homeless women improve life for themselves and their children.
The fundraiser is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Lindley Farmstead at Chatham Hills, 20820 Lindley Farm Rd., in Westfield.
O’Connor House Development Director Nancy Imhoff said the fundraiser is expected to cover a quarter to a third of the nonprofit’s operating expenses for a year.
“We don’t have any government money or grants,” she said. “(The fundraiser is) really key to our mission and being able to provide the resources we offer.”
The night will be hosted by former “Master Chef” contestant Tanorria Askew, a Carmel resident.
“She gives back philanthropically in this manner a lot,” Imhoff said. “She’ll be donating a couple of private dinner parties, and there is a silent auction that will be involved in the evening.”
The casual event will include food tastings provided by local chefs. Tickets are $100 per person, $175 per couple and $950 for a table of 10. Beer and wine are included in the ticket price.
“We really like people to feel comfortable coming as a couple or as a fun night with a group of friends,” Imhoff said. “We really try to create an upbeat and casual environment.”
There also will be a program featuring a success story.
“We’ll have a program that entails some inspirational stories about our mission and some personal stories in terms of lives we’ve helped to touch,” Imhoff said. “It’s an opportunity for us to increase awareness about who we are and the issues we’re hoping to address.”
For more, visit theoconnorhouse.org.
