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Inaugural Ben Shewry & Friends Cook For Kids a Huge Success

By 23/10/2016News

On Monday, August 15, one of the greatest line ups of Australian chefs teamed up to cook a special dinner to raise money for Helping Hoops. Ben Shewry & Friends Cook for Kids saw Neil Perry (Rockpool Group), Maggie Beer (Cook, Author, Food Producer), Dan Hunter (Brae), Michael James (Tivoli Road Bakery), Peter Gilmore (Quay & Bennelong), Andrew McConnell (Cutler & Co.), Analiese Gregory (Bar Brose) and Tad Lombardo (Cioccolato Lombardo) joined Ben Shewry to cook for a seven course meal for 57 guests at Attica Restaurant in Melbourne.

Inaugural Ben Shewry & Friends Cook For Kids a Huge Success

Photography by Steven Wright | regularsteven.com

In total, $89,720 was raised by guests, who not only paid for the unique experience but also dug deep to bid for donated items across three silent auctions. The evening was not just about great food and fine dining; Ben teamed up with Helping Hoops Executive Director, Adam McKay, to speak to the room about their experiences of Helping Hoops and give guests a first-hand insight into the work the charity does. Artwork was also on display throughout Attica featuring portraits of participants and action shots from across all Helping Hoops programs.

Helping Hoops coaches, staff, volunteers and participants were also in attendance, and entertained guests with a basketball shooting game in the Attica garden. Prizes were on offer for those able to score baskets on a mini hoop. Despite the mixed skill level, guests enjoyed the opportunity to have a shot and chat with coaches about their experiences within Helping Hoops.

Inaugural Ben Shewry & Friends Cook For Kids a Huge Success

The chefs, who generously donated their time to make the event a huge success, were given a taste of Helping Hoops prior to the dinner when we organised a special session for them at Helping Hoops Richmond the day before. This was a great chance to get to know some of the kids that will benefit from the dinner and get a sense for why Ben Shewry is so passionate about Helping Hoops. Many chefs openly admitted they did not fully understand the significance of Helping Hoops prior to the event, but now saw just how basketball can be used to positively impact the lives of underprivileged children.

The success of Ben Shewry & Friends Cook for Kids is a testament to the hard work of Ben, Kylie from Attica, and the dozens of people who worked behind the scenes to make the event the best experience it could be for guest. Thank you to all who attended, donated, volunteered and contributed in 2016, and we look forward to doing it all again next year.

Photos below by Steven Wright: regularsteven.com

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