Record Fundraising Despite Weather Pivot The 7th Annual Celebrity Chefs & Friends Golf, Tennis and Pickleball Tournament raised record funds for City Harvest on August 3rd at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey, bringing together over 300 guests including 130 celebrity chefs, restaurateurs, and athletes. Rain forced organizers to transform the outdoor event into an indoor celebration, replacing the golf tournament with an indoor golf clinic led by Top 100 Golf Instructors Jason Birnbaum and Jonathan Yarwood. The pivot expanded the culinary festival, which featured dishes from acclaimed chefs, golf simulations and lessons, indoor tennis and pickleball, and an impromptu performance by Ja Rule. "Even though rain forced the cancellation of the golf tournament, it couldn't dampen the spirit of the day," said Founder Herb Karlitz. "We had prepared for every scenario, closely monitoring the forecast and staying in constant communication with participants throughout the week leading up to the event. More than 130 celebrity chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, purveyors, and athletes came together to enjoy golf lessons and simulations, tennis, pickleball, extraordinary cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and cult wines. At the end of the day, it's not about the golf or tennis. Everyone showed up because they understand fighting food insecurity isn't contingent on the weather. We still have one in four kids not knowing if they will have dinner tonight."

Star-Studded Lineup The event featured Golf Chair Kwame Onwuachi (Tatiana, Kwame's Patty Palace, Dōgon, Las' Lap, and Maroon), Tennis Chairs Simon Kim (Gracious Hospitality Management, COTE, COQODAQ) and Kerry Heffernan (Crew, Grand Banks), and Culinary Chair Alex Lee (Liberty National Golf Club). Special guest Patrick McEnroe, President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, also attended. Chefs and restaurateurs included Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster, Vibe BBQ), Geoffrey Zakarian (Food Network), Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto), Emma Bengtsson (Aquavit), Rocco DiSpirito (Bar Rocco), and Josh Capon (Capon's Chophouse), among dozens of others.

Culinary Offerings and Sponsors Guests sampled dishes from COTE Korean Steakhouse, La Tête d'Or, Rao's, and Golden Steer, alongside freshly shaved Italian truffles and Black Diamond Caviar. Certified sommeliers and vintners poured wines including selections from Te Mata Estate Winery, La Caravelle, Hourglass Vineyards, Blackbird Vineyards, Dana Estates, and Roscioli. Major sponsors included Ernst & Young, Cantor Fitzgerald, Meat & Livestock Australia, Liberty National Foundation, S. Pellegrino, Resorts World New York City, and Tito's Handmade Vodka.

City Harvest Impact All proceeds directly benefit City Harvest's mission to rescue and deliver nutritious food to New Yorkers in need. The organization will rescue nearly 90 million pounds of food this year and deliver it free to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and community partners across the five boroughs. City Harvest, founded in 1982, has rescued over one billion pounds of food since its inception.

Why It Matters

For independent and multi-unit restaurants, events like this demonstrate the hospitality industry's capacity to mobilize around food insecurity while building community and brand visibility. The event model—pivoting successfully to indoor programming—offers operators a playbook for managing weather-dependent fundraising events. City Harvest's scale (90 million pounds annually) underscores the persistent demand for food rescue infrastructure in major metropolitan areas.

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Written by FBM Publications Editors