The Flying Pig’s fourth annual Carve for the Cure breast cancer fund-raiser will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, featuring great food, a silent auction of carved styrofoam pumpkins and live entertainment.
Karen Hutto, owner of The Flying Pig, a catering business located in Fort Myers, said the new twist for this year’s event is having all female chefs, along with a female entertainer.
“I felt that was a good idea,” she said.
Beth Sanger, executive director of the Cape Coral Community Foundation, said they are partnering with the event for the first time.
“The Cape Coral Community Foundation is always willing to partner with organizations who are trying to raise money for a good cause,” she said.
The event will feature a silent auction to benefit breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation.
Sanger said the event has been Hutto’s big signature gathering every year, which has been a successful fund-raiser for the breast cancer research foundation.
Hutto said she works in conjunction with Susan G. Komen because the foundation provides grants for a lot of local organizations in the community.
She said she started working with the Southwest Florida affiliate two years ago.
“I wasn’t making the monetary strides I needed to make with the smaller organization,” Hutto said.
The event is called Carve for the Cure because Hutto provides styrofoam pumpkins to local surgeons and doctors three weeks prior to the event so they can paint them, decorate them and carve them for the silent auction.
Approximately 25 pumpkins will be up for auction this year.
During the event all the pumpkins will be displayed on light boxes to be silently auctioned off at the end of the night.
The event will also have cuisine prepared by Southwest Florida’s finest female chefs.
Hutto said the chefs will have 10 menu items, which are high-end tasting items. The food will be displayed at three savory food stations and one desert station.
Tickets are $50 per person.
“It’s an affordable event that covers food, wine and entertainment,” she said. adding that attendees can then bid on the pumpkins and gift baskets.
“This is the one event every year that I attend as a guest,” Hutto said.
Her staff of chefs, bartenders and servers all donate their time in the planning and execution of the event as a way to give back to the community.
For reservations, call the Cape Coral Community Foundation at 542-5594.
Hutto encourages individuals to make reservations ahead of time due to the fact that her chefs only cook for those who reserve a ticket.
The Flying Pig is located at 7970 Summerlin Lakes Drive in Fort Myers.