Toast to the Children 2020

Toast to the Children 2020 Event Update

We want to thank everyone who has already purchased tickets and those who have planned to attend our 24th annual Toast to the Children event. Your generous support helps more than 25,000 at-risk children in New York City and the surrounding areas receive the resources and care they need to thrive!

Our highest priority is the safety of our children and families, our guests and staff, and the chefs, restaurant staff, beverage distributors, and vendors who make our annual event possible. The Coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 illness outbreak are a rapidly evolving situation. With the growing need to promote social distancing and Governor Cuomo's decision to ban events with more than 500 in attendance, Children of Bellevue is postponing this year's Toast to the Children event to a later date.

We hope you understand our decision to postpone Toast to the Children given the current situation we are all facing. We are so appreciative of the time and effort our volunteer committee, staff, supporters, and partners have put into the event. All prior ticket purchases will be honored for the new date to be determined, and please stay tuned for more information to come as we reschedule the event. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Director of Development, Sara Saastamoinen, at [email protected].

Highlights from Toast to the Children 2019

Toast to the Children Host: Tom Colicchio

Tom Colicchio is the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, and Temple Court; Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, NJ, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001.  He opened 'wichcraft - a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the food and hospitality philosophies of Craft in  2003. In late 2018 Tom opened Small Batch in Garden City, NY, a casual dining restaurant celebrating pride of place through commitments to local ingredients, purveyors, and people.

 To broaden his long-standing activism around food issues, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary "A Place at the Table" about the underlying causes of hunger in the U.S. This eye-opening experience took Tom to Washington DC where he has been a mainstay since. From holding members of Congress accountable on their voting records to working with former FLOTUS Michelle Obama on the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, Tom has established himself as "Citizen Chef" advocating for a food system that values access, affordability, and nutrition over corporate interests.

 Tom and his restaurants give back to the community through their impact partnership with FEAST and by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, and Wholesome Wave. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Lori Silverbush and their three sons. When not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending his North Fork Long Island garden, fishing, or playing guitar.

 RESTAURANTS

• Craft (2001) - James Beard Award-winning restaurant celebrating the finest single ingredients, expertly prepared.
• Craftsteak (2002) - Refined, contemporary fine-dining restaurant inside MGM Grand serving steaks, seafood & cocktails.
• 'Wichcraft (2003) - Sandwich shop rooted in the same food and hospitality as Craft with nine locations.
• Craft Los Angeles (2007) - Restaurant highlighting flavors of California ingredients in an airy dining room in Century City.
• Riverpark (2010) - Dynamic culinary destination on the East River, farm-to-table, showcasing produce from the on-site farm.
• Heritage Steak (2013) - Modern steakhouse in Mirage Las Vegas featuring beef and seafood cooked by open flame.
• Temple Court (2016) - Restaurant reflecting culture/history of lower Manhattan in the historic Beekman Hotel.
• Small Batch (2018) - Rustic American restaurant delivering pride of place and inspiring community engagement.

Announcing our 2020 Children's Champion Honorees

Coming soon!

Making Our Work Possible: 2020 Sponsors

We are thankful for the companies and organizations that champion the 25,000 children and their families whom we serve every year. 

Platinum Level

Gold Level

Silver Level

Bronze Level 

2020 Culinary and Beverage Partners

Our generous chefs and their delectable plates along with our beverage partners and their bespoke cocktails and wine selections make Toast to the Children unlike any other charity gala.

 More partners to come!

Culinary Partners

Beverage Partners

What your support could provide to children at Bellevue Hospital

$35 could supply us with 400 parenting handouts on different developmental issues

In the clinic waiting room, our parent educators support moms and dads by having in-depth conversations about the importance of language and literacy in the early years and giving advice about how easy it can be to incorporate reading. Our parents often ask specific questions about their child's development, and with these handouts, our specialists can send them home with the information they need!

$70 could purchase journals for 12 creative teens

As a form of expressive therapy, writing allows our children and teens to express feelings that otherwise they may not share with their peers or those around them, gradually easing their emotional stress or feelings of trauma.

$150 could pay for four families to receive one session of VIP

Our Video Interaction Project (VIP) uses play and reading to help parents build the skills and learn the information they need to encourage reading, talking, and playing with their child. Our VIP coaches work one-on-one in each session with the family and provide high-quality, age-appropriate toys and books for families to keep, so they can continue to play, read, and talk together at home to build early literacy and school readiness.

$250 could buy our older kids and teenagers special "safety pens"

To safeguard children on our inpatient psychiatric units, they are not allowed to have any regular pens or pencils that could be used to hurt themselves or someone else. Especially for teenagers, it is frustrating to write in a journal with a crayon. Donations enable us to purchase special flexible pens, so our kids can write!

$500 could pay for half a year of supplies for our child protection center

Our Frances L. Loeb Center for Child Protection and Development pioneered a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation for children who may have been mistreated. Our Center was the first to be located in a public hospital, and it still relies on donations for the basics including supplies.

$1,000 could provide a month of music therapy once per week

We fund a Music Therapist who Bellevue could not otherwise afford to see more than 60 patients and their caregivers each week. Through individual music therapy sessions and music therapy as part of weekly group programming, her work is crucial to helping medically vulnerable kids express themselves before their treatment and during their recovery.