Chicago Gets A Taste of Hope from the American Cancer Society

TAO Chicago

As the season of giving and the holidays approach, many Chicagoans are looking for ways to give back to our amazing city. And while we can’t all gather together to support organizations that still need our help, that doesn’t mean the Windy City still can’t come together to give and make a difference. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your home to do so!

Thanks to events like the American Cancer Society’s Taste of Hope: Home Edition, Chicagoans can give back to local nonprofits, all while also digging in to some of the best food the city has to offer. If that sounds too good to be true, you’re going to love all the delicious details that come next.

This year’s Taste of Hope event is all virtual, taking place online on November 5 at 7PM. And even from home, attendees will spend the evening enjoying the best culinary experiences that Chicago has to offer, all while making a very real difference in the fight against cancer! 

The American Cancer Society has partnered with Lettuce Entertain You restaurants this year to allow guests to order meal kits from multiple restaurant partners, self-selecting their dream menu to enjoy at home while they view the virtual benefit.

This new meal kit program is an opportunity to select which amazing Chicago restaurant they’d like to support (Hint: There is no wrong choice), and then a portion of the meal kit price will benefit the American Cancer Society. Your kit even comes with pre-mixed cocktails, ACS goodies and other fun surprises!

There’s so much to look forward to for this special evening on November 5! For a true sneak peak of what to expect, we talked to Michael Ziener, Executive Director, American Cancer Society - Illinois, as well as Justin Diglia, the Divisional Executive Chef of restaurant partner Joe’s Seafood. They’re counting down the days until Taste of Hope - and soon you will be too!

Tallboy Taco

What are you looking forward to most for this year?

Ziener: I am most looking forward to supporting our restaurant partners as they support our mission! We see the menus all day long as we’re sharing them with volunteers and everything looks delicious. I can’t wait to actually taste the food myself!

Diglia: This year's Taste of Hope will be different but just as exciting! With everything being virtual, we have the added bonus of being able to reach more people and in turn, hopefully raise more money. 

How has the Chicago food world been such an active support system for Taste of Hope?

Diglia: The Chicago food world is such an important support system for Taste of Hope because food and drink incentivise the public to go out and support such great causes. It's great exposure for the restaurant while helping raise money for charity events.  

Ziener: Taste of Hope would not exist with our partners in the Chicago culinary industry. And I meant that quite literally! For example, when you tune in on November 5 you’ll see some of our restaurant partners such as A Taste of the Philippines, Formento’s, Big Shoulders Coffee, Joe’s Seafood, and TAO. Our restaurant partners truly bring our event to life and we would not be able to raise such critical funds without their involvement. This year has been truly devastating for the restaurant industry, and we hope that this event allows individuals a creative way to support both local restaurants as well as cancer patients who need our support more than ever.

Beatrix

Why is it so important to keep charitable events happening, even while we're all at home?

Ziener: Charitable events are more important than ever. In the past, in-person events were viewed as celebrations and culminations of our fundraising efforts on a single night. However, events are now a year-round experience! 

Regardless of the event format, virtual or in-person, events are a critical piece of our fundraising efforts that are necessary to ensure we continue to fund our lifesaving mission. We are witnessing the beginning of a new digital community and ways that this community can come together to celebrate, honor, remember and help walk alongside those impacted by cancer. Pandemic or not, the nonprofit sector must #ContinueMission. And, we need all of you to help us help others.

Diglia: Without these larger fundraising events, critical funds won't be able to be provided to the scientists and researchers who are developing lifesaving treatments day in and day out. Diseases don't take a break from impacting people's lives, pandemic or not, and unless we as a community continue to support great events such as Taste of Hope, those who are sick may not have the resources to continue fighting.

More than $1 million has been raised by Taste of Hope to help liberate the world from the threat of cancer. Why is this support so important?

Ziener: Given that Taste of Hope has been around for only 7 years, it’s truly remarkable how fast it has grown and the level of support we’ve received. We’ve actually surpassed the $2 million milestone if you include the generous support from sponsors this year! 

These funds are critical because they allow the American Cancer Society to fulfill its life saving mission of leading the fight for a world without cancer. Our funds go towards research, advocacy, patient services and more that directly impact cancer patients as well as preventing future cancer diagnoses from taking place. Overall, this support is helping save more lives which is a reason to celebrate in and of itself. We couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteer leadership and our co-chairs, Jeff Liljeberg of (JLL) and Victoria De La Huerga of (ADM).

To order your meal kit for Taste of Hope: Home Edition, or learn more about supporting the efforts of the American Cancer Society, head to their website. Only when we all work together can we rid this world of cancer.