History
In 1992, the late Charles Buerger, a Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland Board member and publisher of the Baltimore Jewish Times teamed up with Chef Michael Rork (Town Dock Restaurant, then executive chef at Harbor Court Hotel) to create an event in which participants would share gourmet food and wine while raising $35,000 to provide meals for homebound, frail elderly individuals.
Since that first event, Meals on Wheels Culinary Extravaganzas have raised over $1,000,000!
The 1993 event was chaired by then Board Member Barbara Shapiro and featured “Gourmet to Go,” baskets of delicious treats.
By 1997, the Extravaganza included live and silent auctions, proceeds of which more than covered the event’s cost, so every dollar of sponsorship and ticket sales went directly to feeding the homebound. The event netted $55,967.
In 1999, our fabulous chefs donated THE premiere auction package in town—they all come to the winner’s home to cater a dinner party with each chef preparing a separate course.
By 2003, the Culinary Extravaganza had out-grown Harbor Court Hotel and moved to the Renaissance Inner Harbor Hotel. World renown designer (and Meals on Wheels Board member) Rita St. Clair and artist Joseph Sheppard graciously hosted the event in 2003 and 2004 with net income in 2004 exceeding $100,000 for the first time.
Jennifer & George Reynolds and Anna & Beetle Smith were hosts for the Thirteenth Annual Culinary Extravaganza on April 7, 2005 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. In 2006 they again hosted the event which featured the theme, “A Culinary Cabaret.” Three hundred and fifty guests joined them, Honorary Chair Rhea Feikin, and special Honoree Senator Barbara Mikulski, sampling gourmet cuisine prepared by 29 of the area’s greatest chefs and taking advantage of tango lessons. Everyone present enjoyed the music of Freddie Stevens Entertainment. Silent and live auctions brought extra excitement to the festivities. The Culinary Cabaret netted Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland nearly $140,000, which will funded delivery of 23,333 meals to local homebound elderly and disabled people.