On October 19, enCourage Kids Foundation hosted their Serving Up Smiles premier tasting event at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. Guests got to taste decadent plates from the hottest chefs and top named restaurants in NYC, and also enjoy an array of bespoke cocktails, signature wines, and also relax in the VIP Speakeasy Lounge presented by Go Tab, Inc., and Shinju Japanese Whiskey.
Guests were greeted outside by DJ Chef who had the crowd dancing their way through the entrance doors. ABC Sports Anchor Ryan Field emceed the evening alongside Michele Hall Duncan and Culinary Chair/Chef & Partner TAO Hospitality Group, Chef Ralph Scamardella. The music and dancing continued inside with Acute Inflections and Live Wire Band. Malik Yoba (Actor in Empire & NY Undercover) ate and danced his way throughout the evening.
“I want to thank all the sponsors, board members, guests and my team for a wonderful and successful night. The outpouring of support for the work we do at the enCourage Kids Foundation in helping to humanize healthcare for children and their families by sourcing impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the child life community, is beyond humbling. We look forward to seeing everybody at our next event,” Michele Hall Duncan – CEO enCourage Kids Foundation.
“What a great event for the perfect cause, said Actor Malik Yoba. I look forward to continue to support the efforts of the enCourage Kids Foundation for a long time.”
Participating restaurants and included BAKEYOREY, BRYANT PARK GRILL, BUTTER, CARDINALI BAKERY, KELLARI TAVERNA, LAMIA’S FISH MARKET, LAVO, ME CASA, MYKONOS BLEU, OMAR’S KITCHEN, SKORPIOS, SPICE CULTURE and SPYCE sauce.
Participating wines and spirits included AQUAFINA, BROOKLYN BREWERY, BUBLY, DR. PERRICONE HYDROGEN WATER, FERVOR MEZCAL, HARLEM HOPS, LOS DOS TEQUILA, OWL’S BREW, PRESSED, REVEL SPIRITS, ROUTESTOCK -WILSON DANIELS, TEQUILA ARMERO, WHITLEY NEILL GIN and ZYR VODKA.
Event sponsors included FEIL FAMILY FOUNDATION, ARK RESTAURANTS, BRYANT PARK GRILL, COUGAR CAPITAL, THE DONUT PUB, SIGNATURE BANK, LUCY and DAVID BALL, BUCHBINDER & WARREN LLC, SANDERS FAMILY, EMERSON AMUSEMENTS, and GO TAB.
About enCourage Kids Foundation
Since 1985, enCourage Kids Foundation has helped humanize healthcare for children and their families by resourcing impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the Child Life Community. Serving more than one million children annually, enCourage Kids is focused on making hospitals a better place to get better. Their programs offer relief from the constant burden of treatment, hospital stays, and doctor appointments, while also helping pediatric facilities to meet the unique needs of their patients. enCourage Kids Foundation envisions a world where every child–regardless of the difficulty of his or her medical journey—experiences joy, hope, resilience, and healing. www.encourage-kids.org
About Michele Hall Duncan –
President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation
In her role as President & CEO, Michele’s expertise in the nonprofit and development space, leads the organization in developing varied Programs and overseeing the growth of the Pediatric Hospital Support Program. The relationships she has fostered over the years with Child Life staff and all levels of hospital administration, have helped her to develop an integral understanding of their needs and has helped position the organization to be on the forefront of state-of-the-art programming.
Michele is a Trustee of the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation where she serves as board Secretary and chair of the governance committee. She also serves on the Advisory Board of one of the nation’s leading anti-bullying organizations, STOMP Out BullyingTM, and is a board member of the New York City chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals where she also serves on the Professional Advancement Committee. A native of Flint, Michigan, Michele is a proud graduate of Michigan State University (go Spartans!!) with a B.A. in Advertising and has been an active associate member of the Essex Hudson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. for 10 years. Recently, Actress Shannon Elizabeth has joined Michele and the enCourage Kids Foundation as an Ambassador. Michele has been featured in publications such as Authority, Medium, Thrive Global, Social Lifestyle, Industry Rules, Times Square Chronicles, Resident, and networks such as Spectrum 1, CBS, FOX Good Day, ABC, PIX, to name a few.
