The enCourage Kids Foundation is serving up more than just smiles 

On Tuesday, Oct. 18 the enCourage Kids Foundation will host Serving Up Smiles, a premier tasting event where guests can enjoy luxurious dishes from world-renowned chefs and top restaurants in New York City, sip on world-class wine and cocktails and bid on incredible items at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. 

The EKF was established in 1985 and has been aiding in humanizing healthcare for children and their families through impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the Child Life Community. The foundation has helped over one million children annually with a focus on “making hospitals a better place to get better.” Overcoming illness and injuries involve more than medicine and procedures, it’s about ensuring that every child, world-wide, regardless of the intensity of their medical journey, experiences the goodness of life: joy, hope, resilience, healing. That is why in relieving the burden of treatment, appointments and hospital stays, the EKF can make sure there is more time for hugs, laughs and smiles. 

 Michele Hall-Duncan, the former long-term president and CEO,  spent her time making sure children were given the chance to smile, but sadly shocked the foundation when she died of cancer in June. The EKF had just had a successful gala in May, the first in two years since the pandemic, where people were able to enjoy one another’s company again. Though this loss was severe, they will continue to grow the foundation and never stray from the path Michele aspired to lead. 

“We had a very successful gala in May … Which ended up being the last time I saw Michele. She had gone through an almost 4-year battle of metastatic breast cancer and kept it between her family and close friends,” Board Chairman, Joe Wessely said. “So it was a total shock to us and a big loss, but we are just doubling our efforts to continue to grow enCourage Kids so that we never lose sight of all the things that Michelle has been able to do for the kids over these years.”
It is obstacles such as these that puts life and our mission into perspective, while the loss of such a critical figure of the foundation was lost, children will never stop needing help so they picked themselves up and kept lending a hand to children and families in need. In taking care of our mental health, the rest will follow. 

“I think one of the things that sets us apart from a lot of organizations is that we really do listen to what Child Life professionals and what the hospitals we partner with need for kids in an ever-changing world,” Wessely said. “When you look at everything that’s happened over the past couple years, it’s easy to forget that there’s still millions of kids who are sick, getting in accidents, getting injured and still being diagnosed with very serious illnesses … Our mission is to make hospitals a better place for them to get better, provide resources and support to the Child Life specialists that are essential and the programs, too.”

Programs such as the Mental Health Comfort Kit Program recently funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has happily reported that 2,500 comfort kits are in the process of being sent out, the EKF Pediatric Hospital Support Programs helps patients get routine visits virtually and expanded the reach of Brookdale University Hospital sickle-cell support group through funding, and one of Joe Wessely’s favorites, the Pet Therapy Program which allows patients and even staff to interact with animals, which includes the Paws and Play Program an animal assisted therapy program at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital and also funded the facility dog program at a San Francisco hospital. 

To support these programs and bring them to life, the EKF hosts a number of events one which being their signature tasting event, Serving Up Smiles which is an anticipated event that has been going on for eight years. 

WABC sports achor Ryan Field will emcee the evening and chef Ralph Scamardella, chef & partner TAO Group Hospitality, will serve as culinary chair. 

Confirmed celebrity guests include NBA All-Star, coach and chef,  Charles Oakley; Malik Yoba (actor – "Empire" and "NY Undercover"); former NFL safety and MSG commentator of "Odds with Ends" Erik Coleman; Two-time Yankees World Series champion Jimmy Leyritz;  Giants Super Bowl champion and YES Network commentator Howard Cross; NFLlegend and sports commentator, Tony Richardson; and Former NBA forward and finance eExpert Matt Brust are a few of the known names that will be in attendance.

The participating restaurants include Alvin & Friends, Avo Taco, bakeyorey, Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse, Bryant Park Grill, Butter, HappyBoards, Lamia’s Fish Market, LAVO New York, Robert, Sfoglia, Spice Culture, Sweets to Crave and TAO Uptown.

“So many chefs do such a phenomenal job, but I think my favorite is LAVO. Meatballs with fresh ricotta from LAVO, New York,” Wessely expressed. “And maybe number two are the lobster wontons from TAO, Uptown. We’re also very very fortunate to have chef Ralph, our culinary chair, and Sports Anchor Ryan Field from WABC, EyeWitness news will be the host. So we’re very excited. If anybody would like to help this event be successful you can go to our website at EKF and there’s information to purchase tickets, make a donation or participate in the silent auction online.”

Participating beverages include B. Stuyvesant Champagne, Dr. Perricone Hydrogen Water, Fever-Tree, FIJI Water, Jade Sparkling Wine, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Newburgh Brewing Company, Owl’sBrew, Revel Spirits Inc., Revel Spirits, Rusty Rabbit, Shinju Japanese Whiskey, Whitley Neill Gin and Zyr Vodka. 

Sponsors include: Gold Sponsors Ark Restaurants, Bryant Park Grill, Capital One, Cougar Capital, TheDonut Pub, Feil Family Foundation, GFP Real Estate, ROBERT and Signature Bank; Silver Sponsor Lucy and David Ball; and Naming Sponsors Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP and Cushman & Wakefield, Buchbinder & Warren and Emerson Amusements Company.

“This event gives us the ability to bring together some of the best chefs and restaurants in New York City,” Wessely said. “We also have some excellent wineries, great mixologists creating cocktails, and during the event we will have a silent auction with lots of different items that people can bid on and it’s an opportunity for us to raise a lot of money to support and continue implementing our programs and services.”

To find out more information about the enCourage Kids Foundation and its events visit www.encourage-kids.org.