It’s not unusual to come across a room full of politicians in Washington. But for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit focusing on pregnancy and baby health, its annual Gourmet Gala on Tuesday offered an added twist. The benefit combined an A-list crowd (for D.C., that is) with a competitive cook-off for some 34 members of Congress and their spouses.
“What makes this event so great is that the members of Congress are the chefs, and the sponsors can go around and get face time with them. It’s hard at most events to make that happen,” said Leslie Hayes of Hayes & Associates, who planned the evening with March of Dimes director of development Karoline Hurd.
“This [event] is a Washington tradition, but we try to keep it fresh each year,” Hurd said. This year the gala, held at the National Building Museum, took on a theme inspired by the Olympics—though without use of the official Olympic trademark.The theme song from Chariots of Fire played as guests entered the space, and the cook-off reception area featured five-foot-tall golden medals on large purple ribbons, provided by Hargrove Inc., matching the ones given to the winning chefs. Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug was also on hand as a special guest.
The cooks donned aprons and cheerfully dished out goods from their stations. The judges, who included Roger Wiles of Ocean M and Bart Vandaele of Belga Café, gave out five awards at the end of the evening. Texas representative Randy Neugebauer and his wife, Dana, won Best in Show for their Thai cowboy steak with peanut sauce, and Alabama senator Richard Shelby and his wife, Annette, scored Best Presentation for their pecan cheese bits.
Purple, the March of Dimes's new signature color as of January, dominated the table settings, which were accented by sunny yellow floral centerpieces and golden dishes. A children’s theme was also visible throughout the evening: For the sit-down dinner, which began after the reception, the menu from Occasions Caterers consisted of beef tenderloin with tater tots and glazed baby vegetables, and key lime pudding presented in a baby-food jar.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the music that played as guests entered the event.
“What makes this event so great is that the members of Congress are the chefs, and the sponsors can go around and get face time with them. It’s hard at most events to make that happen,” said Leslie Hayes of Hayes & Associates, who planned the evening with March of Dimes director of development Karoline Hurd.
“This [event] is a Washington tradition, but we try to keep it fresh each year,” Hurd said. This year the gala, held at the National Building Museum, took on a theme inspired by the Olympics—though without use of the official Olympic trademark.The theme song from Chariots of Fire played as guests entered the space, and the cook-off reception area featured five-foot-tall golden medals on large purple ribbons, provided by Hargrove Inc., matching the ones given to the winning chefs. Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug was also on hand as a special guest.
The cooks donned aprons and cheerfully dished out goods from their stations. The judges, who included Roger Wiles of Ocean M and Bart Vandaele of Belga Café, gave out five awards at the end of the evening. Texas representative Randy Neugebauer and his wife, Dana, won Best in Show for their Thai cowboy steak with peanut sauce, and Alabama senator Richard Shelby and his wife, Annette, scored Best Presentation for their pecan cheese bits.
Purple, the March of Dimes's new signature color as of January, dominated the table settings, which were accented by sunny yellow floral centerpieces and golden dishes. A children’s theme was also visible throughout the evening: For the sit-down dinner, which began after the reception, the menu from Occasions Caterers consisted of beef tenderloin with tater tots and glazed baby vegetables, and key lime pudding presented in a baby-food jar.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the music that played as guests entered the event.
The Gourmet Gala at the National Building Museum
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
Enormous gold medals—giant versions of the prizes given to the winning cooks—hung above each station in the side reception space.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
Musicians from Wright Music & Productions played on a center platform during the reception, surrounded by Greek columns.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
Tables for the dinner portion of the evening wrapped the center fountain.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
The stage featured Olympic-style decor, with floating circular pictures of babies (reminiscent of the Olympic logo) and white Greek columns.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
Purple—the official March of Dimes color—dominated the settings, accented by sunny yellow and gold.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
The evening's colors, purple and gold, shone on the venue's towering columns.
Photo: Margot I. Schulman Photography/Courtesy of March of Dimes
The dessert, served in a baby food jar, kept guests focused on the March of Dimes's cause.
Photo: Courtesy of March of Dimes
