Will County Children’s Advocacy Center seeking sponsors for annual Men Who Cook culinary competition

January 11

JOLIET – The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is seeking sponsors at all levels for what is expected to be the biggest and the best Men Who Cook culinary competition.

Men Who Cook will be held from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at the Pipefitters Local #597 Training Center at 10850 187th Street in Mokena. The wildly popular cooking competition moved to the Pipefitter’s Hall last year to accommodate the large number of guests and amateur cooks who attend annually.

“Men Who Cook is truly the most exciting local fundraiser with cooks coming from throughout Will County to give hungry guests a taste of their favorite home-cooked dishes,” said State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who chairs the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center’s Board. “This marks our fourth year, and we’re expecting the biggest crowds and the toughest competition yet.”

Men Who Cook gives local guys a chance to don a chef’s hat and serve up their favorite home recipes for public tasting. It is an affordable, fun and casual competition that draws hundreds of guests and amateur cooks to benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. The center’s trained staff has been working to protect abused children for the past 17 years.

Men Who Cook provides excellent sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations. Sponsorships range from $250 to $3,000 and offer escalating levels of recognition for your business or organization, both in advance promotional materials as well as during the event.

Proceeds benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, which was established by State’s Attorney Glasgow in 1995 to improve the way child abuse cases are investigated. The center’s staff performs child-sensitive interviews when there are allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse. These interviews are conducted by trained and caring professionals in a non-suggestive, child-friendly environment. The children’s recorded statements have been used in the successful prosecution of hundreds of child predators.

The state’s attorney founded the Children’s Advocacy Center as a 501-c-3 non-profit organization so it would not impact Will County taxpayers. As a result, the center has relied on grants, foundations and fundraisers like “Men Who Cook” to fulfill its important mission.

Be sure to keep March 24 open for Men Who Cook. The cost to taste bite-sized samples of fine cuisine from local chefs is $35 per person; $60 per couple.

Guests this year will receive the Red Carpet treatment when they are greeted by WJOL’s Lynne, Mary and Natalie, who will serve as the evening’s hostesses. All cooks will be interviewed for local cable television.

For details on how to sponsor this exciting event, call the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4565. Or you can visit the center on the Web at www.willcountychildrensadvocacy.org, www.menwhocook.info or on Facebook at facebook.com/menwhocook.