CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Avli on the Park Executive Chef Niko Kapernaros grew up in Greece and his wife is from Cyprus. He said when he learned of the death and destruction in Turkey and Syria, he knew he wanted to help.
"I woke up and I saw my Greek news, which is the first thing I check. We are eight hours in front, so I saw in the Greek news all these videos. In the beginning, I couldn't believe the videos, it was like a movie for me. When I saw the children and the people and all the buildings that collapsed, I called my fellow chefs and everyone was in right away," he smiled.
Dozens of Chicago area chefs will gather next month to raise money for the people of Turkey and Syria, who are in the middle of earthquake recovery.
"We're going to have 40 chefs to set up here inside Avli on the Park. We're going to have food tasting stations, different chefs from around the city, we'll have auctions and raise money," said Kapernaros.
Kapernaros said the history behind the Greeks and the Turks and the Syrians is not great, but he said politics aside, it's time to help.
"I served in the Greek Army. This doesn't have anything to do with the government. It's an area with a lot of Kurdish and Syrians, but it's still Turkey and, at the end of the day, I see the humanitarian reason first. I believe we can do something great with this,” Kapernaros said.
Avli on the Park Managing Partner Louie Alexakis said it was a no-brainer to offer up his space in LakeShore East.
"There was such devastation as a result of these earthquakes. At the end of the day, they don't have anywhere to sleep, no where to eat. There are more than 40,000 casualties already. Chef Niko called me and asked me what we could do. In two days, we all agreed and planned out. Everyone was thinking how we can make this happen," he said. "We're going to feed people who are on the streets." he smiled.
Last year, Chicago chefs raised more than $600,000 for the refugees in Ukraine and hundreds of thousands more for the people of Ethiopia and Puerto Rico.
"The Chefs in Chicago have always wanted to do things for others. "What I'm really proud of is that they are actively saying what can we do to make a difference," Alexakis said. This is our lives, and we go to bed and wake up thinking about our restaurants, and, sometimes, it's the hard things, sometimes, it's things like this. How can we help the neighborhood, how can we be a better partner just for humanity and that's been such a special thing to be a part of."
Kapernaros said what's happening in Syria and Turkey hits close to home for him in more ways than one.
"If this was 250 miles to the west, this would be my family. It was such a strong earthquake. In 1999, I experienced a big earthquake in Athens. I was on the 7th floor in an office, when it started shaking. The fear I had that day was the most fearful thing I felt in my life." he recalled.
"It's something that is happening on the other side of the planet. To try to lead my team on how we can work for something (is) so wonderful. It's also a good lesson for the young people in the kitchen. It's not just cooking. It's about community and charity," Kapernaros said.
“Chicago Chefs Cook for Earthquake” relief will be held at Avli on the Park March 20. All funds raised will be sent to World Central Kitchen.
"Why not have an amazing evening. Our entire space will be taken over from these chefs, you'll have some Greek wine, and experience the Greek culture. You're going to have an opportunity to taste food from 40 different places, and you can walk out feeling very good about that evening." said Alexakis. "We are all humans and we don't want people to suffer. It's the way we all feel culturally. We need to help your fellow person. That's always been our principle."
In addition to the chef-curated tasting event, the evening will feature a VIP meet and greet chef experience, from 5-6pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
This event is made possible by the Chicago Chefs Cook leadership team including Chef Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Chef Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), Darren Gest (Deloitte Consulting), Eda Davidman (Chicago Chefs Cook) and Jodi Fyfe (The Paramount Group).
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