C·CAP 35th Anniversary Benefit Press Release
C•CAP ANNOUNCES ANNUAL 2025 BENEFIT STARRING AMERICA’S TOP CHEFS
March 3, 2025: For Immediate Release
Culinary Careers Program (C•CAP), the national nonprofit that empowers under-resourced high school students and adults to become the next generation of leaders in food and hospitality, announces its annual national benefit, to be held on Monday, April 7 from 6 to 9 pm at New York City’s Chelsea Piers.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, C•CAP’s longtime co-chair and celebrity chef, Marcus Samuelsson will host this year’s benefit. The 2025 Chef Honoree is David Shim, Executive Chef at Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse and Partner, Gracious Hospitality Management; Kelly Sennatt Esten, Chief Marketing Officer at Toast, is the Benefit Chair. Brother Marcellus Luck IV is the Benefit Alum Honoree.
Joining what many call New York’s best night in food are 30 top restaurants from New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Colorado Springs, and Phoenix. Some highlights include ATS Kono’s Kono, Chintan Pandya’s Dhamaka, Daniel Boulud’s Restaurant Daniel, Kwame Onwuachi’s Tatiana, Lee Hanson & Riad Nasr’s Frenchette, Rick Bayless’ Tortazo and many more. Guests will not only feast on the offerings from these hard-to-get-into restaurants but also meet inspiring C•CAP alumni and students, as well as be able to bid on stellar silent and live auction items. To buy tickets or become a sponsor, visit CulinaryCareers.org.
“As someone who came to this country and found my way into the culinary industry, I know the importance of giving others a skill that provides the opportunity for major success,” says Benefit Honoree David Shim. “C•CAP has been doing that for more than three decades.” Benefit Chair Kelly Esten agrees: “Toast and Toast.org have been at the forefront of ensuring hospitality is an economic driver for communities across the country, and we’re delighted to work with C•CAP as they prepare the next generation of hospitality leaders in the years to come."
The 2025 C•CAP Benefit is graciously sponsored by:
The Grausman Family, The Rosenblatt Family, Jeffrey B. Samuels, Restaurant Associates, Patty Intrator, Alexandra Shapiro, Anonymous, Kelly Esten, Ann B. Zekauskas Family Foundation, Audrey and Danny Meyer (Rotunda Family Foundation), Heather Molin, Deborah and Bill Ryan, Breakthru Beverage, Filippo Berio, Restaurant Associates, S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Burlap & Barrel, Marcus Samuelsson Group, Nordstrom, Quality Branded
CULINARY CAREERS PROGRAM (C•CAP)
We’re a national workforce development non-profit dedicated to training and supporting the next generation of food & hospitality leaders. Every year, we provide over 25,000 under-resourced high school students and adults culinary arts education, job skills training, apprenticeships, scholarships, and career opportunities that position them for lifelong success. To date, we have uplifted close to 400,000 students across the U.S. and awarded $73 million in college scholarships.
Press Contact: Maliha Adams, madams@ccapinc.org