The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show proudly supports non-profit organizations in the communities in which it is located and has developed priorities to guide its corporate charitable contribution process. MCES primarily supports the following types of organizations but will consider requests from all registered 501(c)(3) organizations:
- Culinary Education
- Children’s Health and Nutrition
- Military Families
- Local Food Banks
We review requests for contribution in the order they are received. Only requests submitted through the online system will be considered; it can take up to eight weeks to review a contribution request. Please email info@metrocooking.com to request the form.
Operation Home Cooking
Operation Home Cooking (OHC) is an initiative recognizing military spouses for the commitment and sacrifices they make everyday caring for their families and supporting their service members. In 2010, sponsors helped bring 300 deserving military spouses to the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show free of charge where they enjoyed a private luncheon and a surprise visit from Dr. Jill Biden. Following the luncheon, they attended celebrity theater presentations by Paula Deen and Bobby Flay and shopped the exhibit floor. The program expanded in 2011 to reach more than 2,500 military spouses who enjoyed a private presentation by Guy Fieri.
The James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is at the center of America’s culinary community, dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives. Through our partnership, we bring the best of the best in culinary talent to present on the Cooking Stage – all presenters are James Beard Award winners, nominees or chefs who have cooked at the Beard House. Our goal is to celebrate America’s culinary talent and honor James Beard’s legacy through scholarship and education. We also thank our incredible chefs for making this program possible.
Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Dozens of childrens’ wishes to meet Paula Deen have been fulfilled at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show. We provide tickets for the children and their families to attend the show as well as meeting space for them to enjoy one-on-one time with Paula.
The Capital Area Food Bank
Ever wonder what happens to the leftovers at the show? We are proud to donate perishable products to the Capital Area Food Bank. On Sunday evening after the show, our prep kitchen team and exhibitors load up the Capital Area Food Bank truck. The Capital Area Food Bank helps to feed those who suffer from hunger in the DC area by acquiring food and distributing it through their network of member agencies.
The Children’s Inn at NIH
The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health is a residential “place like home” for sick children and their families while the children are receiving groundbreaking medical treatments at NIH. The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show supports the Inn through many efforts from outfitting their kitchen to co-hosting VIP fundraising events with celebrities at the show.
Yum-O!
In 2010, the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show provided complimentary tickets to more than 50 DC area elementary school children to see Rachael Ray present live in the Celebrity Theater. The students attended cooking demos and workshops as part of the Yum-O! initiative.Yum-O! is Ray’s nonprofit organization that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids and funding cooking education and scholarships.
