Chicago chefs come together for Cooking Up A Cure for Scleroderma

Cooking Up A Cure raises money and support for the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago. Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes thickening and tightening of the skin. The event features some of Chicago's best chefs, breweries, wineries, and distilleries on Thursday, October 12, at Theater on the Lake, located at 2401 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.

Now in its 15th year, the fundraiser's founder and current chair is Chef Cleetus Friedman. He knows the firsthand effects of this horrible disease after his father died of scleroderma in 1992 at the age of 51. In an interview with Chicago Star, Chef Cleetus shares, "I wanted to start raising money and raising awareness for it. So I went to the scleroderma board and I proposed the idea of a fundraiser that focused on food and beverage and we came up with Cooking Up A Cure."

All money raised will continue the Scleroderma Foundation's ongoing mission of support, education, and research for scleroderma patients and their families. Chef Cleetus says, "For me, it's certainly about raising money but also about awareness. If every year another 10 or 20 people learn what scleroderma is, it really means a lot!" It's the awareness of this little-known disease that is impactful. It affects approximately 300,000 people in the U.S., predominantly women, and while the impact varies widely from person to person the results are often fatal.

Chef Cleetus is happy to have incredible support from the local restaurant and beverage community. "It's overwhelming to think we have been doing this for 15 years. Mainly overwhelming because a lot of these chefs have been supporting us from the beginning, number one and the friendships I've had over the past two decades. It's amazing to see where everyone is today versus 15 years ago.”, says Chef Cleetus.

When asked what attendees will experience at the event, Chef Cleetus said, "Expect incredible food, incredible drinks. Amazing silent auction prizes and some great music all wrapped in the space of Theater on the Lake, which is a gem of a space on the Chicago lakefront." Some of the Chicago restaurants and beverage companies supporting the event include Few Spirits, Begyle Brewing Co., North Shore Distillery, Stone Brewing Co., Theater on the Lake, Vistro Prime, Carol's Cookies, Marz Community Beverage Co., Fioretta Steak, Roots Handmade Pizza, The Evolved Network, Smoque Steak, The Publican, Le Select, Swift & Sons, and Pompette Wine Bar.

VIP tickets are $185 per person with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and $125 per person for general admission with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit stopscleroderma.org