Meals on Wheels Chicago Celebrates 35th Annual Celebrity Chef Ball
October 28, 2025: Chicago’s culinary leaders rally to support home-delivered meals and wellness programs amid shrinking safety nets.
Meals on Wheels Chicago (MoWC) hosted its 35th annual Celebrity Chef Ball on Friday, October 24, 2025, at The Geraghty (2520 S. Hoyne Ave.), uniting more than 50 of the city’s top chefs and hundreds of supporters to raise vital funds for home-delivered meals and wellness programs serving vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.
Led by event Co-Chairs Heidi and Jim Clifton, the evening surpassed its $1,000,000 fundraising goal, marking a record-breaking year for Meals on Wheels Chicago. The Cliftons’ leadership, combined with the generosity of Chicago’s hospitality community, helped make this milestone event a resounding success, ensuring thousands of homebound seniors continue to receive nutritious meals, wellness checks, and the dignity of aging at home.
Event Highlights
A chef-table dining experience with teams of three chefs collaborating tableside on a six-course menu for each pod of guests
A festive cocktail reception with light bites and an exclusive luxury raffle
A live auction featuring luxury travel and one-of-a-kind culinary experiences
A dessert reception to close the evening
Funds raised will support MoWC’s cornerstone Home-Delivered Meals Program as well as the Nourish Chicago Pantry, Pet Packs for Seniors, and a growing Wellness Program, all under pressure from rising food, packaging, and fuel costs. Despite these efforts, the need in our community continues to outpace available resources, and Meals on Wheels Chicago is bracing for an even greater demand for support in the year ahead. MoWC helps deliver more than 4.7 million meals annually to low-income, homebound Chicagoans who are often isolated, medically fragile, and living in poverty. A large majority live alone, and for many, the delivery driver is the only person they see all week.
“What an incredible evening to be part of! Thank you to everyone who joined us and showed such amazing generosity. For 35 years, Meals on Wheels Chicago has united the city’s most passionate and talented chefs in support of seniors who depend on us. This event is proof that when our culinary community comes together, we can make a lasting impact” said Max Robbins, Lead Chef for the 2025 event.
2025 Participating Chefs (partial list)
· Max Robbins, Oakville Grill & Cellar
· Soo Ahn, Adalina
· Jonathan Sawyer, Kindling
· Fabio Viviani, Seville
· Jacob Saben, Coda di Volpe
· Stephen Gillanders, S.K.Y.
· Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia / Proxi
· Danny Espinoza, Santo Chorizo
· Brian Jupiter, Frontier / Ina Mae Tavern
About Meals on Wheels Chicago
Meals on Wheels Chicago works to ensure Chicagoans who are homebound due to age or disability can live independently with dignity by providing access to nutritious meals, social connections, and essential wellness supports. Learn more at www.mowc.org
Save the date for next year’s event!
October 23, 2026 at The Geraghty.