Chef Maassen makes his "Mark" with $10,000 winnings for his charity!

The dust has settled and the confetti has been swept away from last weekend's Sears Chef Challenge in Chicago , but still much excitement remains, especially for the four winning charities that our chefs supported. Congratulations to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Camphill Village in Kimberton Hills and the Food Bank of New York for winning $5,000 each from our chef finalists!

The top winner for round one, Chef Mark Maassen supported the People’s Resource Center located at 201 S. Naperville Rd, Wheaton, Il 60187 . They will receive a full $10,000 donation to support their work! Since 1975, the People’s Resource Center community has existed “to respond to basic human needs, promote dignity and justice, and create a future of hope and opportunity through discovering and sharing personal and community resources."

As Chef Mark tells it, “The food pantry is very local for me. They offer a lot of premium products, as well as organic foods to people that would not normally choose them, helping to educate families about health and wellness. Having the food bank a half-mile from my house in Westmont makes me feel like an immediate impact will be made. Perhaps, I can draw more attention so that more companies will support the People’s Resource Center." Mission accomplished, Chef Mark!
It was a tremendous honor to hand each winning chef a $5,000 check written to each charity and to hand over a "big check" (see photo below) for another $5,000 to the PRC. Doug Moore, the President of Sears Home Appliance signed and presented the check to Chef Mark Maassen who passed it on to the PRC's Executive Director, Kim Perez who was beyond thrilled.

As a dedicated community activist and the resident "non-profit expert" on our SCC team, I am amazed at what has happened. Before the SCC only a few of our original 12 chefs had a current charitable affiliation, and now nearly all of them are regular,(hopefully) life time supporters of their charities. (Once you begin charitable work, it becomes so fulfilling and mutually beneficial, it usually becomes a way of life.)

How about you? What are the ways that you give back through food or otherwise? How can you become more involved in your community? I would love to hear some stories and ideas. Let's keep this "giving" going!