The Lunchbox Fund turned a Monday night into an idyllic evening for its annual Fall Benefit Dinner. Friends and supporters alike gathered on the 17th floor of the Public Hotel to share a meal prepared by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Prada served as the presenting sponsor for its fifth consecutive year.
“It’s wonderful to see sustained partnerships that grow with us,” Topaz Page-Green, the organization’s founder and executive director, shared. “We are lucky to have a celebrated chef work with us on a night that is reminding us about the fundamental necessity of food and providing meals to thousands of children who don’t have access to food.”
Page-Green started the Lunchbox Fund in 2003 while working in South Africa’s townships and seeing children arrive at school hungry. “Many of these children were unable to complete their education because of lack of food. It was easier for them to find work or worse,” she said. The simple concept of providing a meal at school was enough incentive for many South African students to continue their educations and therefore, broaden their future prospects.
The money raised from the evening’s ticket sales and silent auction will make a direct impact on the children’s lives through the meals they receive. Auction items included artwork by John Currin, Julian Schnabel, and Shinique Smith, as well as a safari which features a visit to one of the Lunchbox Fund’s schools in Cape Town.
A Prada-clad Page-Green was joined by hosts Billy Crudup, Rain Phoenix, and Matthew Day Jackson, as well as Aurora James, Piper Perabo, and Kimberly Drew, who are benefit committee members. Before sitting for dinner, guests sipped on cocktails by Tito’s and wine from Ken Forrester. At the family-style dinner, delicacies were served, from spicy tuna tartare to a layered chocolate cake.