by TM Petaccia

This will be the fourth year of the Fork Cancer dinner, and for the most part, everything has gone according to plan for the event’s founder, chef Mark Allison — except for one thing.

“I originally thought I’d just reach out to a handful of chefs, hoping that at least three or four would say yes,” he says. “The first eight chefs I reached out to all said yes. The plan was to basically change the chefs every year, but at the end of every event, the chefs turn around and say, ‘Sign me up next year!'”

With a few additions to the original crew over the years, the chef count for this now-annual fundraiser stands at ten. “We have basically the same bunch of chefs which is absolutely amazing because they only come together this one night every year and they just work like they work with each other 365 days of the year. They just get on so well and they produce an absolutely fantastic meal.”

This year’s Fork Cancer dinner will take place at Uptown’s City Center Marriott on Tuesday, September 9. It is a four-course dinner with wine pairings, plus pre-dinner cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Kicking off the evening for those with VIP tickets will be a special cooking demonstration noted celebrity chef Roshni Gurnani (Hell’s Kitchen, Chopped) who has been participating in the dinner since its second year. She will also have a hand in the reception hors d’oeuvres to follow. “She flies in from Texas on her own expenses and does the event,” Allison says.

The main menu year’s Fork Cancer dinner will be prepared by six area chefs: Rafaele Patrizi, Mano Bella Market & Bistro — VIP small bites and reception hors d’oeuvres; Jonathan & Amy Fortes, Flipside Restaurant / The Flipside Cafe — first (salad) course; Andres Prüssing, Charlotte Marriott City Center — second (fish) course; Sam Diminich, Restaurant Constance — third (meat) course; and Charlotte pastry chef Samantha Ward creating the bread service and dessert course.

“It’s the community effort that means a lot to me,” Patrizi says. “Friends and strangers, everyone comes together for a cause bigger than themselves in a way that is stripped of pride. Everyone just wants to genuinely help. Mark Allison really brings that out of people.”

In addition to the main menu by the participating chefs, a completely separate vegetarian menu created by chef Mason Martinez of Culinary Concepts is available.

Rounding out the chef lineup will be Chris Aquilino of Elior North America serving as culinary and kitchen manager and Jay Ziobrowski of Morrison Healthcare will serve as chef and menu emcee.

Throughout the evening, attendees will be a live feed of the kitchen to see each course’s chef(s), talk about their dish.

“It’s been the same group of chefs since the beginning, plus a few new,” Ward says. “Cancer has impacted family and friends of mine. If I can make a difference in any capacity, it’s beyond worth it. I’m especially excited for my dish this year. Utilizing fresh fig, honey, and more. It’s going to be a wonderful and delicious event.”

To date, Fork Cancer has raised approximately $270,000 for area cancer causes. This year’s recipients will be Xander’s Acts of Kindness Foundation, which supports the lives of young cancer patients from underprivileged families, and The Meggs Foundation, which provides resources for young adults with cancer.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of Allison’s wife, Alison Davies, due to non-treatable Carcinoid Syndrome. “This dinner is kind of a milestone for me,” he says. “So we’re hoping this will be an especially good year.”

For full details and tickets, go to forkcancerfundraiser.com.