United States Senators and Representatives united for an evening of friendly competition for a great cause at the 36th Annual March of Dimes Gourmet Gala. Over 45 Members of Congress participated in a competitive cook-off last night at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The Celebrity Chefs served their favorite recipes to the over 600 attendees while helping to raise $1.2 million for March of Dimes programs and research.
Special guests at the event were Representative Joe Crowley and Mrs. Kasey Nilson Crowley (NY), Senator Ed Markey and Rear Admiral Susan J. Blumenthal Markey (MA), Representative Kevin McCarthy and Mrs. Judy McCarthy (CA) and Senator Pat Toomey and Mrs. Kris Toomey (PA). Legacy Chefs were also honored during the evening for participating as Celebrity Chefs for ten or more years. Legacy Chefs included: Representative Robert Aderholt and Mrs. Caroline Aderholt (AL), Representative Sanford Bishop and Mrs. Vivian Bishop (GA), Senator Roy Blunt and Mrs. Abigail Blunt (MO), Representative Debbie Dingell (MI), Representative Dave Loebsack and Mrs. Teresa Loebsack (IO), Senator Ed Markey and Real Admiral Susan J. Blumenthal Markey (MA), Senator Pat Roberts and Mrs. Franki Roberts (KS), Representative Mike Thompson and Mrs. Janet Thompson (CA), and Senator Tom Udall and Mrs. Jill Cooper Udall (NM).
At the end of the evening, the following six awards were presented:
- Judge’s Choice – Sen. Angus King (I-ME) for his lobster stew
- People’s Choice – Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for her Nashville-style hot chicken
- Healthiest Recipe – Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) for her guacamole
- Hometown Hero – Rep. Dough Lamborn (R-CO) for his Colorado bison burger sliders
- Best Presentation – Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) for her chili
- Easiest Preparation – Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) for his berry bruschetta
Gourmet Gala Co-Chairs were Rear Admiral Susan J. Blumenthal Markey (MA), Mrs. Kasey Nilson Crowley (NY), Mrs. Judy McCarthy (CA) and Mrs. Kris Toomey (PA), and Finance Co-Chairs were Lindsey Dickinson, Comcast NBCUniversal and Dan Gans, Polaris Consulting.
Serving as Celebrity Judges were Washington, D.C. area acclaimed chefs: Chef Ris Lacoste of RIS, Chef Scott Drewno of Chiko, Chef Mike Friedman of The Red Hen and All Purpose, Pastry Chef Erin Reed of Blue Duck Tavern, Chef Bryan Moscatello of 701 Restaurant, Chef Danny Lee of Mandu.
To learn more about March of Dimes Gourmet Gala, including a list of Congressional chefs and event photos, please visit marchofdimes.org/gourmetgala.
Sponsors of the 36th Annual Gourmet Gala include: Samsung, Presenting Sponsor; Comcast NBCUniversal, P&G Pampers and National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation, Platinum Sponsors; Aflac and Chevron, Signature Sponsors; BNSF Railway, Bentley Motors USA, BlueCross BlueShield Association, CVS Health, Quicken Loans, United Technologies and Volkswagen Group of America, Regional Sponsors; AARP, Abbott Laboratories, BGR Group, BP America Inc., Celgene Corporation, Facebook, International Council of Shopping Centers, Lockheed Martin, Merck & Co, Inc., Raytheon, S&P Global, Sempra Energy, Shell Oil Company, Siemens Corporation, Southern Company, TSYS, UPS, Fluor, American Continental Group, Hilton, Home Depot, Sanofi and PhRMA, Regional Sponsors; and The Hill, National Journal, The Washington Diplomat and Washington Life Magazine, Media Sponsors.