Chefs unite to serve up bushfire fundraising feast
A community fundraising event with a star-studded line-up of local chefs raised $51,800 at Fins Plantation House in Duranbah recently
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A COMMUNITY fundraising event with a star-studded line-up of local chefs raised $51,800 at Fins Plantation House in Duranbah recently.
With the help of 50 volunteer staff, 186 guests, including world champion pro surfer Joel Parkinson, joined event organisers and co-owners of Fins Restaurant and Fins at Plantation House, Morgan and Steven Snow to assist those hit by the bushfires.
The co-owners felt powerless to help those affected by the unfolding bushfire crisis in NSW and the idea for the event sprouted as a way for them to help provide much needed donations.
“All the news coverage pointed toward the desperate need of a cash injection to assist fire fighters, volunteers, and those rescuing our wildlife and helping victims of the fires.
“The bushfire catastrophe is beyond belief for me,” Morgan said.
“Within 24 hours of asking our celebrity chef mates if they could help, everyone responded with a resounding ‘yes’ and we were flooded with offers of support from the venue and other suppliers.”
The chef line-up featured Jason Saxby (Rae’s on Wategos), Darren Robertson (Three Blue Ducks), Steven Snow (Fins), Ben Devlin (Pipit) and Alastair Waddell (Harvest).
Key beverage sponsors included Cape Byron Distillery, Husk Distillers, Tyrrell’s, and Balter – founded by pro surfer Joel Parkinson and a group of mates.
An overwhelming community response saw tickets sell out within one week.
Thanks to the generosity of all those involved, as a zero-cost event, 100 per cent of all monies raised will be donated equally between NSW Rural Fire Service, The Koala Hospital and The Salvation Army.
Funds raised and donated on the night by Kingscliff preschool, Smiley Tots, will be used to ‘adopt’ koalas at the Koala Hospital, so the children will have an ongoing relationship with them.
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