Fill a Plate for Hunger benefit features top toques

The third annual Fill a Plate for Hunger benefiting We Don’t Waste takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. The fine dining event again will feature small plates and appetizers from the award-winning restaurants of Larimer Square and others.

A supporter of We Don’t Waste, Mayor Michael Hancock will serve as the event’s honorary chairman. City Councilman Charlie Brown, along with Dana Crawford, Jeff Hermanson, Walter Isenberg, Chad McWhinney, Mary Vostrejs, MD, Troy Guard and Cathy Cooney will serve as honorary chairs.

Event partner packages range from $850 to $15,000. Interested parties should contact We Don’t Waste executive director Arlan Preblud at 720-443-3668. Individual tickets to the event are $85, available at www.blacktie-colorado.com. CBS4 weather whiz Ed Greene will serve as the emcee with comedian Adam Cayton-Holland as the auctioneer.

Last year’s sold-out, inaugural event raised more than $85,000 for We Don’t Waste, the organization that systematically gathers what would otherwise be wasted perishable food, and delivers it to Metro Denver’s neediest charities. Since 2009, We Don’t Waste has collected donated food valued at more than $2,900,000, translating to more than 3,500,000 servings for Denver’s impoverished people in either acute or chronic conditions of hunger.

“Support from this event will help us expand our reach for more food, serve more agencies, and work to reduce food insecurity, while reducing food waste,” Preblud said. “The challenge of our organization is that our work is never done. There is more unused food going to waste every day, and there are so many individuals, families and children in need of a healthy meal.”

Denver Union Station, made up of Larimer Associates, McWhinney, REGen, LLC, Sage Hospitality and Urban Neighborhoods, is event’s presenting sponsor. Other event sponsors include Applejack Wine & Spirits, First American State Bank, The DiPasquale Family Foundation and First Bank.

For more information about Fill a Plate and We Don’t Waste, visit www.wedontwaste.org.