Humanitarian Chef José Andrés Helps Raise $1 Million For Austin Charities

Here is a feel good story for the holiday season. Last month, Spanish pro golfer Sergio García and his wife, Angela, hosted their first FORE Kids ATX fundraiser. As a prominent figure, Garcia is keen to use his platform to give back to the Austin community, which he now calls home.

While the course was star-studded, the kitchen was too, as some of the most accomplished chefs in the country came together to raise money for the cause, with chef José Andrés on hand as the guest of honor.

After a weekend of golf tournaments, culinary showcases, and live entertainment, the event raised $2M for The Sergio and Angela García Foundation.

The weekend kicked off with a private dinner party featuring an outstanding menu from local chef Tyson Cole. Known for his upscale five-star restaurants Uchi and Uchiko, among other concepts, Cole is one of a handful of American sushi masters and a past James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest. The menu at the charity dinner featured some of the restaurants’ most popular dishes.

Known for his portfolio of humanitarian work in the wake of global emergencies, Andrés is internationally recognized for both his culinary and altruistic achievements, currently holding two Michelin stars and two James Beard Awards. He has also received President Obama’s National Humanities Medal, and two places on Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People over the last decade. A painting of him was recently hung in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

The menu featured a salad topped with edamame jalapeño, followed by hama chili – an Uchi signature dish of raw yellowtail, ponzu, Thai chili, and orange. For the main course, Cole chose roasted lobster with tom kha, king trumpet confit, and umeboshi butter. Finishing the meal was a chocolate candy bar with salted caramel, peanuts, and cookies n’ cream.

The Garcías partnered with Dell Children’s Medical Center, Foster Village, and The Muny Conservancy’s Austin Golf Academy to host the event.

“The mission of FORE Kids ATX is to raise funds that serve our community and help children,” said Sergio García. “We support organizations that provide access to services, healthcare and community programs for children, regardless of their ability to pay, with a focus on children in the foster care system.”

“FORE Kids ATX provides access to consistent, quality medical care that this vulnerable population needs to thrive through extremely difficult circumstances,” said Angela García. “Sergio and I feel incredibly fortunate to live in Austin and to raise our family here. We’re excited to host a wonderful event while raising money for the children who need it most.”

A VIP golf tournament on Friday morning showcased 75 paired teams, including a dozen of golf’s biggest names — Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka to name a few. Later that evening, pro golfers and celebrities enjoyed a live cooking competition between chef Jedd Adair, executive chef for MML Hospitality, and chef Donnie Forehand, executive chef of Swift’s Attic.

On Saturday, García hosted a putting competition and public golf tournament at Lions Municipal Golf Course while pro golfers roamed the course, greeting fans and attendees.

“It was great to bring so many kindhearted people together for a very worthy cause,” explained García. We were able to raise funds for our charity partners, and we all had a lot of fun doing it.”

In addition to the FORE Kids ATX event, the Sergio and Angela García Foundation (in partnership with LIV Golf) will invest $2M over the next four years in various projects serving children throughout Central Texas.