The Link Stryjewski Foundation is pleased to announce the chefs participating in its 2017 charity Bal Masqué. Set for Saturday, January 7, 2017, at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, the Link Stryjewski Bal Masqué will follow a special preview dinner on Friday, January 6th at Calcasieu hosted by returning celebrity chef Mario Batali (Babbo, New York City). The following additional world-renowned chefs have accepted the invitation to participate in the Saturday evening Creole carnival celebration alongside chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, founders of the Link Stryjewski Foundation: John Currence (City Grocery, Oxford, MS), Suzanne Goin (Lucques, Los Angeles), Paul Kahan (Publican, Chicago), Mike Lata (FIG, Charleston), Nancy Oakes (Prospect, San Francisco), Richard Reddington (Redd, Yountville, CA), Andrea Reusing (Lantern, Chapel Hill), and Maggie Scales (La Boulangerie, New Orleans). “We are honored to have these acclaimed chefs donate their time, talent and food to our event,” states Link. “All proceeds from the event will be used to fund programs for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.” The organizations set to receive funds from the 2017 event include Kingsley House and the Youth Empowerment Project.

The 2nd annual Link Stryjewski Bal Masqué guests will experience an evening of fine dining with each chef presenting a dish, a stellar lineup of nationally recognized musicians, and an auction featuring one-of-a-kind travel, outdoor and music experiences. “This highly anticipated event could not take place without the dedication of our guest chefs, our sponsors and contributors, and our attendees,” states Stryjewski. “We were certainly humbled by the amazing support we received at our first annual event, and we look forward to giving each guest another amazing night of culinary excellence and musical talent.”

The 2016 Bal Masqué raised over $150,000 for the Link Stryjewski Foundation’s mission to address the persistent cycle of violence and poverty in New Orleans by investing in quality education and job training opportunities available to the City’s young people. The Link Stryjewski Foundation is able to do this important work through partnerships with organizations like Kingsley House and the Youth Empowerment Project. The Foundation continues to raise funds for its mission throughout the year. In the spring of 2016, the Foundation provided assistance with summer camp fundraising drives for disadvantaged New Orleans children. The Foundation has also partnered with Grow Dat Youth Farm to host farm dinners that support the non-profit’s youth leadership development program.