First Coast Register | Page 28

Caring2012 Chefs Children’s Home Society prepares for N ABOVE: Chefs prepared bite-sized portions of their restaurants’ most popular dishes last year at Caring Chefs 2011. BELOW: Ann Gayle and Wanda Willis &:,:89s8*59*2'*7| +.789(4&897*,.89*7 ortheast Florida’s first, biggest and arguably best food and winetasting event will return to The Avenues Mall Sunday, Oct. 14, for its 29th edition. Caring Chefs, slated to run from 7–9:30 p.m., features more than 50 of the best First Coast restaurants, caterers and wine vendors offering their most well-known dishes and libations. Tickets are $60, with proceeds benefitting Children’s Home Society of Florida’s efforts to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect. Each year, sell-out crowds of more than 2,000 fill the mall sampling the best cuisine in Northeast Florida. Now in its 29th year, Caring Chefs helps Children’s Home Society of Florida embrace children and inspire lives. Since 1902, CHS has helped build, strengthen and heal families and now serves more than 2,500 children and families in Northeast Florida every day. CHS believes every child deserves to be safe, happy and loved. To that end, CHS offered family-centered and child-focused programs designed to nurture children and bring families together. Through adoption, foster care, counseling, residential care and parent education programs, CHS is passionate about stopping the generational cycle of abuse and neglect for children. Caring Chefs sponsors have helped thousands of children heal from abusive backgrounds and find loving, forever families. They’ve provided a safe harbor for abused toddlers, found parents for abandoned children, redirected troubled teens and transformed addicted mothers into productive parents. Since the venue, food, beverages and advertising are donated, 90 percent of the revenue from sponsorships goes directly to help the children