Orland Park hosting 13th annual Chefs’ Auction

Originally Printed:  February 17, 2013  Orland Park will hold its 13th annual Chefs’ Auction from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Orland Chateau, 14500 LaGrange Road, to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Research Program.
Orland Chateau generously donates the use of its building so restaurants throughout the area can bring in their chefs to serve their signature dishes. The evening also includes fine coffees, wines and ales as well as raffle prizes. Just think, you can try some of the tastiest dishes around all under one roof!
Orland Park has raised more than $150,000 for the breast cancer program over the past 12 years, Mayor Dan McLaughlin said, describing the auction as a “great event for a worthy cause.”
Restaurants donating their chefs’ services and auction packages include Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant, Robert Morris University Culinary Arts Program, Great Harvest Bread Company, Bakers Square, PF Chang’s China Bistro, Mimi’s Café, Fox’s Orland Park, Papa Joe’s, Flavor Restaurant and Jenny’s Steak House. Bloomingfield’ Florist is donating long-stem roses that will be presented to cancer survivors.
A highlight of the evening is the live auction of donated restaurant packages, conducted by McLaughlin. This year’s auction will also include a pink guitar donated by the mayor and his wife and autographed by blues legend Buddy Guy.
Tickets are $55 per person or $90 per couple. Corporate tables of 10 are available for $600 and include a reserved table, half-page ad in the program and the table centerpiece. Ads are available for the event program with a full page costing $200, half-page at $150, quarter-page at $100 or business-card-size at $50.
Tickets may be purchased at Orland Park’s Recreation Administration Building, 14600 Ravinia Ave., or at the Sportsplex, 11351 W. 159th St. Only 350 tickets will be sold. For more information, call (708) 403-7275.
Road nightly closings
In case you missed it elsewhere, the Illinois Department of Transportation is closing LaGrange Road between 135th and 143rd streets to demolish and remove the Metra bridge that was replaced as part of the LaGrange Road widening project. The closings occurred last week and will again be in place this week from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning. There is no closure scheduled for Friday or Saturday nights.
Drivers will be detoured to Southwest Highway from 135th and 143rd streets. Businesses and side streets between 135th and 143rd streets will remain accessible while LaGrange Road is closed. For more information, visit www.dot.state.il.us.
SouthtownStar get-together
Many of you are unaware that we SouthtownStar citizen journalists see you — our neighbors, friends and fellow “townies” — more often than we see our colleagues at the newspaper. We are independent contractors who submit our columns to our editor and have contact with him/her via phone or email, occasionally meeting reporters and photographers while out and about.
At a recent gathering at the newspaper, I met some of the people I (seem) to know so well (via their photos) face-to-face. Our editor, Jason Freeman, made introductions and welcomed us warmly. Jason left the paper shortly afterward for a new job and will be sorely missed. I appreciate his efforts to edit my lengthy rantings and turn them into a column you can read and, hopefully, enjoy. Thanks, Jason, and good luck.