Last October some close friends and I decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for two charities.

The two charities are inspired by two people very close to my heart:
Darren Eastmond and Michael Fishbein
Both Darren and Michael have inspired me in many ways, from their strength, passion for life, love for their community, family and friends, and importantly here, their culinary skills. They are two of the most fun and full of life people I have ever met. I am thankful my brother Michael is healthy and strongly fighting cystic fibrosis. Darren, who had diabetes, passed away suddenly last December, breaking the heart of everyone who had ever met him. They both have lived with challenging diseases, yet neither have been defined by them; they are defined by their passions in life and the people they loved.

After attending a charity dinner in February (thanks Brooke!), the project evolved from solely a climb to include culinary creativeness. Because Darren, Michael and myself have all been very passionate about cooking, and food in general, cooking charity dinners is a great way to honor both of them. Over the next year, I will be cooking a series of bespoke charity dinners wherever I travel. Each menu is unique and each dish is my own, whether sheer invention or pulling inspiration from, well, anywhere.

The dinners are open to anyone (to host or attend) and hope to provide a unique experience to those involved. The idea is for an eclectic group of people to gather, to celebrate food, the lives of the ones you love, and the people that inspire you.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRACK US CLIMBING, WE WILL BE ON THE MOUNTAIN JANUARY 3RD-10TH AND WILL HAVE A GPS ON US:

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