Last weekend’s 14th annual Cooking For A Cure event at the Danversport Yacht Club raised just over $21,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The event – a buffet-style cook-off – was organized by former Marblehead firefighter Tim Doane. The following fire departments participated: Beverly, Danvers, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem, Stoneham, Swampscott, and Topsfield.
“I can’t do this without the men and women of the fire service who come out and support. They do it all on their own. All the costs that they accrue are on them. I don’t pay them to do anything, so they put a lot into this event, and it’s just amazing,” Doane said. “I can’t say enough to the fire departments for what they do. I have cooked for things like this before. I know the work that goes into it. They spend the day on Saturday, and sometimes even half of Friday, to get ready for this event. It’s just amazing the support I’ve had over the years.”
According to Doane, about 390 people attended.
“It makes me proud to see everyone have a great time,” Doane said. “I had a lot of first-timers this year, and they were just overwhelmed. They were like, ‘Wow, this is just an amazing time. Why did we never come before? How did we miss this for years?’ So it was a lot of fun.”
While raising money was the priority, this was a cook-off after all.
Stoneham won the best overall department award, Beverly earned second in this category, and Topsfield rounded out the top three.
Beverley also won the best dish award for its tortilla soup and dessert. Swampscott came in second with its brisket slider and homemade sauce, and Marblehead came in third for its chicken pot pie soup.
Peabody won the people’s choice award, and Danvers won for most original dish with pad thai.
Doane made sure to thank the firefighters who cooked for and supported this year’s Cooking For A Cure.
