Annual Chef’s Culinary Celebration benefits West Suburban Community Pantry

Posted February 06, 2026 9:23 pm

Submitted by Deb Newman

West Suburban Community Pantry in Woodridge will present its popular annual fundraiser, the Chefs’ Culinary Celebration on Sunday, Feb. 22, at Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn.

Now in its 14th year, the event, to be emceed by Dionne Miller, ABC 7 Eyewitness News Sports, brings together the region's top culinary talent for an unforgettable evening of gourmet dining and community support.

Attendees enjoy exquisite dishes prepared by eight renowned local chefs while contributing to a vital cause. The event features inspiring speakers sharing the pantry’s role in providing nutritious food to neighbors in our community.

The evening also includes a cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres as well as wines on the table, a silent auction with electronic bidding and checkout, mission moment and paddle raise.

A carrot cake was one of the delectable treats at last year's Chefs’ Culinary Celebration, hosted by West Suburban Community Pantry in Woodridge. Courtesy of West Suburban Community Pantry

Chefs taking part this year include Executive Chef Raul Armenta at Belgio’s Catering, Executive Chef George Barg at Elements at Water Street, Chief Chocolatier Cathy Bouchard at Le Chocolat du Bouchard, Executive Chef John Bubala at Open Kitchen Chicago, Executive Chef Nick Landeweer at Abbington Distinctive Banquets, CEO & Chef Zac Rogers at Spice Dog Provisions, and Chef de Cuisine John Saccomando Jr. at Fireside Restaurant at Medinah Country Club.

“I always believe as long as we do our thing with love, that's all that matters. At the end of the day when we go home, I say 'God thank you' for letting me help these people. I feel proud of what I do,” said Chef Raul Armenta of Belgio’s Catering in Naperville. “When I do this, I do it from the bottom of my heart. Not (all) people are fortunate and the stories are heartbreaking. We got to be grateful for what we have. ”

“Chef’s Culinary Celebration is WSCP’s most impactful fundraiser of the year, raising enough to provide more than 350,000 meals for families in our community,” said Pantry CEO Maeven Sipes.

“Donations from this event will help provide access to nutritious food to 1,000 families every week through our in-person pantry and online market,” Sipes said. “Thanks to the support of our donors and volunteers we were able to provide 3.9 million pounds of food last year, of which over 40% was fresh produce”

Presenting Sponsor for the 14th annual Chefs’ Culinary Challenge is Old National Bank. Platinum Sponsor is The Ann and Victor Pokorny Memorial Fund. Additional sponsor opportunities are available.

For information, tickets and sponsorship opportunities visit wscpantry.org/chefs-culinary-celebration/.