Pittsburgh Chefs Gather for Cook-Off to Benefit Women’s Health Research
By: Madison Brunner
Each fall, chefs from across Pittsburgh come together to share their best dishes and compete for “Dish of the Year.” The competition is called Savor Pittsburgh, and all proceeds benefit research at Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI).
We asked Michael Annichine, chief executive officer of MWRI, for details on the event, which takes place Thursday.
What is the history of Savor Pittsburgh and how has it grown in popularity?
A. Savor Pittsburgh celebrates its 12th anniversary this year. The event started when neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) families were grateful for the world-class care they received at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and decided to host a fundraiser to support the hospital. Last year, we had more than 1,500 people in attendance. Due to event growth, we’ve moved to larger space and hope to welcome an even larger crowd at the Peterson Events Center.
What can attendees expect?
A. Savor Pittsburgh attendees support a worthy cause and enjoy some of Pittsburgh’s finest delicacies. Chefs from 30 restaurants prepare amazing appetizers, fabulous entrees, decadent desserts and signature cocktails. This year’s event features the band No Bad Juju, with Chris Jamison from “The Voice.” Additionally, we’ll have a raffle and a silent auction.
What’s the importance of this event?
A. Proceeds benefit MWRI and Magee, and have an enormous impact on the lives of mothers and babies. MWRI is the largest independent research institute in the nation focused exclusively on women’s health. The funds from Savor Pittsburgh help bolster our research on a wide variety of women’s health issues including reproductive biology, breast cancer genomics, fertility preservation, and many other areas. Our researchers are also very focused on how pregnancy and fetal development can affect population health for future generations. In addition to purchasing supplies for the NICU, we will use the proceeds of the event to award grants to researchers.
What is the history of Savor Pittsburgh and how has it grown in popularity?
