For 21 years, the Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC) has brought the community together through its annual “Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening” event. The fundraiser unites families, friends, and local restaurants through celebrating the importance of supporting early childhood education, healthy nutrition, and accessible childcare.
However, those who are close to the cause know that the Feed Me Fresh tradition is more than just a fundraiser. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of partnership restaurants who donate their time and provide services, staff, and delicious food, Feed Me Fresh has become an evening defined by community collectivity.
Dawn Meyerski, Executive Director of MKCCC describes the event atmosphere as unique to most fundraisers. “The evening is far more casual,” Meyerski says. “The cocktail hour, when all the restaurants are there and people are mingling, is very different from other fundraisers. This one seems to feel like home. I think the people who come feel that.”
That warm, inviting energy is exactly what keeps longtime supporters like Exit 4 Food Hall Owner and Chef Isi Albanese returning year after year. A part of Feed Me Fresh since the beginning, Albanese shares that his favorite part of the night is the social cocktail hour.
“That’s when the magic happens,” he says. “You see the board members, supporters, chefs, and volunteers come together – tasting the best of what local food has to offer, sharing stories, and making connections.”
“For restaurant owners like me,” he adds, “it’s our chance to give back, to connect with the people who support the Center, and to remind everyone that great food and great causes go hand in hand.”
Proceeds from the event, held at Ivanna Farms in Mount Kisco, go towards supporting scholarships for local working families so that they may have access to high-quality childcare and early childhood education.
When thinking about an outstanding aspect of the evening, Tommy Calandrucci, Co-Owner and Chef at both Stone Fire and Basilico restaurants, admires the event landscaping.
“They put the place together beautifully,” he says. “It has this farm-to-table feeling.”
Feed Me Fresh not only celebrates community involvement, it also reflects the Center’s core values and mission. Through the delivery of a fresh, healthy plated dinner by Calandrucci’s team, and all the other participating restaurants, who prepare amazing tastings, the event brings to life MKCCC’s commitment to nutrition and hands-on learning, incorporating their “Feed Me Fresh” curriculum.
“I am happy to be a part of something that is local and touches the families in our community,” says Calandrucci about his continued involvement in the annual fundraiser.
This year’s Feed Me Fresh event will be held on September 20th and will embrace a festive fig theme. Regarding his culinary plans for the evening, Isi Albanese says, “I’m not sure yet what we’ll serve, but I promise it’ll be great.”
