Boca Raton, Fla. (August 26, 2024) – Hanley Foundation raised funds for its substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs during its 3rd Annual Boca Celebrity Cook-off on Thursday, August 1, at the Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca Raton, Fla. The event kicked off the annual Boca Chamber Festival Days event series and served as the official kickoff party for Hanley Foundation’s 4th Annual Brice Makris Brunch, which will take place on December 15 at The Boca Raton.
More than 150 guests enjoyed a lively cook-off with local celebrity chefs, a gourmet happy hour, raffles, and entertainment. High-profile Palm Beach County celebrities showed off their culinary skills for the judges and audience. The chef teams included George Petrocelli and Dr. Nathan Nachlas, David Dweck and Bruce Spizler, Jan and Matt Savarick, and FAU faculty members, Dean Naelys Luna and Dr. Katie Burke. The cook-off was judged by Boca Chamber President & CEO Troy McLellan and emceed by Neil Saffer.
Jan and Matt Savarick won the People’s Choice Award and David Dweck and Bruce Spizler won the blind tasting. Boca Celebrity Cook-off sponsors included Waterstone Resort & Marina and Allegiance Home Health & Rehab.
Proceeds from the event benefited Hanley Foundation’s Brice Makris Endowment Fund, established by board member Michelle Makris and her husband, John, in memory of their son, Brice, who tragically passed away from an accidental fentanyl poisoning in 2020. The fund supports Hanley’s vital prevention education programs for students and provides treatment scholarships to those in need.
“Losing Brice was a devastating tragedy,” said Michelle Makris, Hanley Foundation board member and Brice Makris Brunch co-chair. “Creating the Brice Makris Endowment Fund was our way of turning our heartbreak into hope. Events like the Boca Celebrity Cook-off and Brice Makris Brunch bring us closer to our goal of preventing other families from experiencing the same pain.”
Hanley Foundation awards more than 500 scholarships annually to individuals seeking treatment at vetted, high-quality centers across the country.
