Cooking for Kids Competition Benefits JJCCC at Profiles of Courage Gala, Honors Patients & Families

Long Beach, Calif., May 10, 2011 - The Profiles of Courage Gala has put a new twist on a 25-year old recipe. The fundraising event that benefits the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center (JJCCC) at Miller Children’s is in the second year of having a live cooking competition, with locally renowned “celebrity chefs” at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach.

The Cooking for Kids Competition lets celebrity chefs prepare their very own family recipes at the competition or have the Hyatt provide a recipe, where chefs can put their own “flare” on an existing recipe. These celebrity chefs include Mike Duree, Gary & Dawna DeLong, Rory DeJohn, Commander Laura Farinelli, Randy Gordon & Nancy Becker, Jake Hooper and Dede Rossi.

Celebrity chefs can garner votes before the event takes place through online fundraising and through tastings of their appetizers at the event by judges – such as former patient Jack Witherspoon, who has written his own cookbook – and through votes from the crowd. Each dollar donated is equivalent to one vote. The chefs are judged on presentation, quality and taste and strive to win the “ultimate chef,” who is the chef who received the most votes from the crowd, the community and the judges.

In addition, the Profiles of Courage Gala will be honoring four patients from JJCCC - Nydia Ahumada, Aaron Cheng, Susan Ing and Kayleigh Scott - and three adult honorees - KV Mark, Payless Foods and a Torch Run team: Team Matt Johnson. Team Matt Johnson, is this year’s Torch Run team honorees. Matt Johnson, a Manhattan Beach native. Ten years ago, at the age of 14, he lost his two-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) – the most common form of pediatric leukemia. Today his parents and family are actively involved in JJCCC through events, board membership and as philanthropic friends.

Support more families and teams like Team Johnson. Sign up to attend the Cooking for Kids Competition, the cost is $175/person, or vote for a chef online now.

For more information call (562) 933-8600.