Now in its 16th year, Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida's Cooking for Wishes is a four-course, interactive dinner where guests at each table prepare their own meal under the direction of Executive Chef Jamil Piñeda and Phil Mancini of Michael’s on East. The evening features wine selected by Michael Klauber, a live auction, and perspective from a family on the life-changing nature of its wish experience.

Hosted by Michael’s on East co-owners Phil Mancini and Michael Klauber, with event chairs Terri Klauber, Renee Phinney, and Lauren McComb Dixon, Cooking for Wishes returns this year with the theme “Studio 54: A Night of Funk and Flavor,” raising critical funds to help grant life-changing wishes for local children with critical illnesses.

Make-A-Wish Southern Florida has granted more than 15,000 life-changing wishes since 1983 for children who have critical illnesses. It aims to grant a wish for every medically-eligible child in its territory and understands these experiences are more than nice, they’re necessary to the health and well-being of families at a critical time in their lives.

Wish kids most often ‘wish to be’ (something), ‘wish to meet’ (someone), ‘wish to go’ (somewhere), ‘wish to have’ (something), or ‘wish to give’ (something) and the nonprofit organization makes this happen for the child and his/her entire family at no cost or obligation.

The Southern Florida chapter’s territory includes 22 counties/four regions: the Suncoast (Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties), Tampa Bay, southeast and southwest Florida. It also includes the U.S. Virgin Islands.