Guy Fieri, Celebrity Chefs Raise Over $1.5M For Maui Recovery, Relief

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Thirty-eight award-winning chefs, including Graton Resort & Casino’s vice president of Food & Beverage, William Becker, participated in The Guy Fieri Foundation’s Chefs for Maui Fundraiser.

More than $1.5 million was raised at the intimate event held Oct. 21 at a private vineyard in Sonoma County Wine Country, where 150 guests were treated to a 15-course dining experience, live music and a chef meet-and-greet.

The money raised went toward disaster operations and relief supplies for Maui's wildfire-ravaged communities.

"The fires in August devastated the island and the communities in it," Becker said. "Maui is still recovering and will be for a while."

The Graton Resort & Casino was the title sponsor of the event.

"The entire Graton Resort & Casino food and beverage team [was] honored to participate in the Guy Fieri Foundation’s Chefs for Maui event and support relief efforts," Becker said.

In addition to Becker, participating celebrity chefs included Michael Mina, Hunter Fieri, Jonathon Sawyer, Ming Tsai, Tiffani Faison, Amanda Freitag, Britt Rescigno, Brooke Williamson, Sonoma County native Dustin Valette and many more.

All net proceeds from Chefs for Maui went to support the Foodservice Workers of Maui and The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division.

The Guy Fieri Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit charity based in Petaluma, uses food, cooking and education to support, uplift and encourage its communities. The foundation envisions a world where local communities are supported and local heroes are celebrated.

For those who could not attend the event but still wish to contribute to the cause, The Guy Fieri Foundation is accepting donations here.

Chefs Afterparty

Following the benefit event, Chef Dustin Valette of The Matheson in Healdsburg hosted a Chef's Afterparty featuring a rooftop DJ, live music on the mezzanine, and a selection of Maui-inspired culinary creations.

Here are some of the notable happenings from the afterparty:

• At roughly 10:30 pm on Saturday night, 35 of the country’s leading chefs and culinary television talent from Food Network and Bravo, arrived at Chef Dustin Valette’s beloved Healdsburg restaurant, The Matheson, following The Guy Fieri Foundation’s “Chefs for Maui” Fundraising Dinner
• During the event, chefs including Top Chef alum/winner and BOCA Restaurant Group’s Stephanie Izard were seen dancing to live music by Grammy-nominated artist Willie Jordan on The Matheon’s Mezzanine while sipping on The Matheson’s famous clarified margarita and Hawaiian-inspired coconut Mai-Tais. Though they all arrived exhausted from cooking at the fundraising dinner, the mood quickly picked up and the chefs were all dancing late into the night to the music of DJ Tiger Eyes upstairs at The Matheson’s Roof 106
• During the evening, afterparty co-host Guy Fieri made multiple toasts to thank all who came together to support a common cause and to thank Chef Dustin Valette and The Matheson for hosting the night. Always one to keep the party going, Fieri also rounded up the chefs and guests to take a shot together at the bar, pouring shots of his signature tequila Santo and toasting to the group, including chefs Shota Nakajima (Top Chef) and Adam Sobel.

• Upstairs, at The Matheson’s Roof 106, celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey held court in the corner outdoor table, joined by other celebrity chefs including Lee Ann Wong, Shota Nakajima, Bobby Marcotte, and Tobias Dorzon. At one point in the night, Food Network talent and judges Amanda Frietag and Marc Murphy joined the group, and they all came together to recap the night, laughing hysterically at jokes told by Malarkey. The table was seen sipping on The Matheson’s famous clarified margaritas and munching on the evening’s specialty Hawaiian and Pepperoni pizzas, crispy pork belly bites & shishito peppers, while enjoying a DJ set by DJ Tiger Eyes.
• Hollywood’s screenwriter, director, and Yellowstone actor, Taylor Sheridan, was spotted sitting with Chef Valette discussing their auction item - an exclusive dinner alongside, and prepared by, the actor-chef duo, which earned $363,000 towards The Guy Fieri Foundation’s Maui relief efforts. The two were enjoying a selection of Mezze & Cheeses and Roof 106 Pizzas, alongside specialty cocktails.

• Specialty bites were created by Chefs Dustin Valette and Brian Best for the evening, including Li Mui Shishito Peppers, Crispy Chicken Wings, Burrata and roasted Pineapple Toast, Delicata Squash Fries, Crispy Pork Belly, Foie Gras and coconut Toast, Roasted Porchetta Sliders, Pizza by Chef Brian Best and Desserts by Lisa Lu & Costeaux Bakery.
• Hawaiian-inspired specialty cocktails were served, including Mai Tais, Margaritas and Coladas.