There are many ways ” ” star Jeffrey Donovan and his wife, Michelle, could have introduced to Denver. They chose one that was simply delicious: a four-couse dinner prepared by chefs Ming Tsai and Troy Guard at Guard’s newest restaurant, .
The Donovans, who live in Denver, have been involved with the Boston-based nonprofit since 2013, when he was asked to serve as ‘s sous-chef at the New York edition of Every year, Family Reach stages Cooking Live! in three major cities, Boston, Chicago and New York.
“We got involved for one simple reason,” Donovan said during the Denver dinner. “To help families with very sick children.”
The Donovans helped pave the way for Family Reach to partner with and expand its reach of providing grants — usually in the $500 to $2,000 range — to families facing financial hardship while their children are in cancer treatment. The money is typically used for mortgage or rent payments, transportation, utilities, uncovered medical expenses and groceries.
Tsai, who has been friends with Troy Guard since 1996, owns two popular restaurants in the Boston area, and , and is the host of ” .” He is also the national ambassador for Family Reach.
His Denver visit began with a visit to the Children’s Hospital Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, where he and Guard prepared chicken and vegetable stir-fry pockets for the young patients.
That evening, they cooked for a hand-picked group of 35 that included Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker and his wife, Anna; former Bronco Ryan Harris; Curtis Lincoln, owner/chef at in Evergreen; Ramonna Robinson and Jim Licko of ; Thomas Salamunovich, founder of Vail’s acclaimed restaurant and the hamburger franchise; and Christopher Edelman, whose provided the Faroe Islands salmon that Ming Tsai wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with red curry for the dinner’s third course.
Carla Tardif, the executive director of Family Reach, introduced Inessa Bogachova, a single mom whose social worker at Children’s Hospital Colorado connected her with Family Reach after she had to leave her teaching job when her 15-year-old son, Sergey, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
Online: More pictures from this event denverpost.com/seengallery
