““Six Courses for a Cure” Dinner Slated for Aug. 19 at Sheraton Suites

Event to Fund Leukemia Research and
Bring International Medical Symposium to Cleveland

Six of Northeast Ohio’s top chefs are teaming up to present “Six Courses for a Cure,” a gourmet wine dinner at the Sheraton Suites - Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, on Friday, Aug. 19, 6 p.m., benefiting the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation. The dinner will fund an international Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD) symposium in Cleveland this fall. (GvHD, a complication of bone marrow transplant, results when the patient’s body is attacked by the new immune system created by the transplant. It can cause death if not controlled, and there is currently no cure.) Guest speaker at the event is Dr. Steven Z. Pavletic, M.D, M.S., Head, Graft-versus-Host and Autoimmunity Unit, Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

The dinner is the brainchild of Roger Thomas, executive chef at the Piatto Novo, and Pete Olsen, a partner at Purple Feet Distributing in Macedonia. The two were inspired to help after meeting Akron’s Gerry and Marti Cowden and hearing the inspiring story of their daughter Meredith, a leukemia survivor.

The Cowden family formed the not-for-profit foundation bearing their daughter’s name to help other families coping with blood disorders and to fund research toward a cure for GvHD. “It’s an honor to support their efforts,” Thomas said.  “In just four years’ time, the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation has already raised more than a quarter of a million dollars.”

Tickets for the dinner are $150 per person (including valet parking), and are available online at www.sixcoursesforacure.com. A Chefs’ VIP Table seating eight is also available at $3,500. Guests at the VIP Table receive autographed chef’s jackets and personal interaction with the chefs. Four Winemakers Tables (seating for eight with one of the winemakers) are available at $2,000.

Participating chefs joining Thomas are Brendan Meeker of Canton’s Glenmoor Country Club; Rick Carson of Nosh Eatery & Creative Catering; Brian Goodman, The Greenhouse Tavern; Jeff Jarrett, AMP 150, Cleveland Airport Marriott; and Kevin Altomare of Hudson’s. Each course will be paired with wines from Meyer Family Cellars, John Anthony Wines, South American Wine Imports, 41 North Imports and Davis Wine Imports. Silent and live auctions will provide opportunities to bid on private jet getaways, sports memorabilia, jewelry, entertainment event packages and much more.

“We’re honored the Cowdens selected the Sheraton Suites to host this important fundraising event in our 300-seat capacity ballroom,” said Robert Trammell, general manager. “We’ve hosted hundreds of events, but this one is particularly meaningful because of its strong Akron roots, and the personal commitment of the Cowden family to help others coping with the devastating impact of GvHD,” he added. “It promises to be a first-class evening all the way.”

For more information, visit the foundation’s Website at http://www.cowdenfoundation.org.