Cooking, and Eating, to Stamp Out Breast Cancer

Babylon Village residents came together recently to dine and donate to the cause of supporting fellow residents affected by breast cancer.

The dinner, featuring a wide assortment of dishes presented by village and other local restaurants, proved again to be a popular event for the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, the Babylon Township organization devoted to education, advocacy, and charitable assistance around the cause of breast cancer.

Chefs, restaurant owners, and small business owners presented specially crafted entrees and appetizers, served buffet style to a well-dressed crowd.

An elaborately decorated cupcake display from Babylon Village bake shop Torta Fina was particularly well-attended, as was a homemade ice cream cart from American Classic Ice Cream in Bay Shore. Rounding out the dessert offerings were confections from Morgan's Bay and Madame Butterfly cake shop.

Joe Hubbard, co-owner of the Hook restaurant, located on the waterfront in Babylon, said he and his fellow owners have been doing this event for years.

Tess Helfman, president of the coalition, reported that the event "raised $38,646 which is about $1,000 more than last year."

"Everything went off without a hitch," she said.

The event, now in its 13th year, takes advantage of Babylon Village's culinary strengths, and healthy ticket sales reflect an appreciation for the uniqueness of the event: a chance to taste food from a majority of the town's chefs in one location, on one night. Merchants donated notable prizes as well, including a sapphire ring and airfare to Disney World.

Carol Amelia, coalition executive coordinator, said the event was well-attended and came off excellently.

"It's always a good crowd when prizes are given out," she said.

The spirit of giving back was strong, however, and the winner of the 50/50 raffle, Sal Puglia from Copiague, gave his winnings back to be donated to the Coalition's LI2Day walking team.

The Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, with headquarters in Copiague, serves Babylon residents affected with breast and other gynecological cancers. The Chefs for a Cause dinner is a signature event by the organization, which maintains an active fundraising schedule year round.