Atlantans are passionate about eating out . But your favorite restaurant or watering hole couldn't operate without a staff to serve you, cook for you or mix up your beloved Manhattan. Sometimes, folks in the industry fall on hard times. Luckily, area nonprofit The Giving Kitchen is there to provide emergency financial support to members of Atlanta's restaurant community. But The Giving Kitchen can't do it without your help.
On Sunday, Jan. 31 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Giving Kitchen is holding its annual fundraiser, Team Hidi. Attendees can sample food and specialty drinks from more than 50 of Atlanta's top restaurants and bars, bid on a plethora of auction items and enjoy live music by local band Yacht Rock Revue . Tickets cost $150 per person, and all proceeds support The Giving Kitchen's emergency grant programs.
In the last year, the nonprofit has aided more than 60 employees who faced hardship. Now in its fourth year, Team Hidi is The Giving Kitchen’s largest fundraising event and the only tasting event that directly supports those in the restaurant industry around Atlanta.
The Giving Kitchen was founded in 2013, inspired by the outpouring of support generated when Atlanta chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in December, 2012. The community raised nearly $300,000 to help Hidinger meet his medical and other needs. He lost his battle with cancer in 2014.
Prior to last fall, The Giving Kitchen had been sustained solely through events (such as this one taking place at Taqueria del Sol right now ) and personal donations. With the opening of its profitable arm, Staplehouse Restaurant, which is managed by Hidinger's wife, Jen, his sister Kara and brother-in-law Ryan Smith , all profits from that restaurant further serve to support The Giving Kitchen's programs.
For more information about The Giving Kitchen and Staplehouse Restaurant, visit thegivingkitchen.org or staplehouse.com.
Event details: Team Hidi, Jan. 31, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Georgia Room at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, 65 Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW, Atlanta. $150 per person. Purchase tickets online at thegivingkitchen.org/th4.
Read the AJC Fall Dining Guide, Atlanta Around the Clock, here .
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