Business & Tech

Brandon Chamber's Bracewell Cooks for a Cause, YMCA Benefits

The Copper Bell Cafe's "Cooking for a Cause III" celebrity chef event July 9 featured Tammy Bracewell of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, with proceeds earmarked to send kids to YMCA camps at Brandon, Campo and Camp Christina.

 

A crowd of diners made their way to the in Brandon on July 9, where Tammy Bracewell, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, served a dish of spaghetti and meatballs for the cause of sending children in need to summer camp programs at Camp Christina, the Brandon Family YMCA and the Campo Family YMCA.

For Bracewell, it was her third showing at the Copper Bell Cafe annual fundraiser and each year she has cooked for the same cause.

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"You get a full belly, you promote a local business, you help kids at the Y and you get free delivery from Take Out Butler," she said. "It's a win-win-win-win for everybody."

This year, too, kids representing the summer camp program at area YMCA's prepared a video that was shown at the cafe on Parsons Avenue. To the tune of "On Top of Old Smoky," the kids sang"On Top of Spaghetti," a ballad and children's song written and originally performed by folk singer Tom Glazer with the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus in 1963.

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Bracewell followed Jen Holloway, marketing manager for Bright House Networks, who cooked for a cause June 25 and raised around $500 for HARC, "one of the oldest and most-respected agencies serving people with disabilities in the Tampa Bay region." Her proceeds would have been higher, said Copper Bell Cafe proprietor Darren Dennington said, had it not been for Tropical Storm Debby still having an impact on town that day.

Before Holloway, Hillsborough County School Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, cooked for a cause June 18 and raised $1,037 for the Hillsborough Education Foundation, according to Dennington.

State Rep. Burgin cooked for a cause June 11 and raised $1,389.71 for the Brandon Outreach Clinic, he added.

Dennington said of the celebrity chef effort, now in its third year, that he is proud to have donated back to the community some $26,000 as a result of the first two years of Cooking for a Cause. With this year's effort, that total tops $30,000, Dennington said.

"It's a great way for us to have an impact in our community," Dennington said. 

Bracewell gave high marks to Dennington, noting his strong involvement with his daughter's schools. He started the "Dining With Dads" initiative at Brooker Elementary, which Bracewell said is now in existence at seven Hillsborough County schools, and has started a similar effort for the middle school years, now that his daughter is a student at Burns Middle School.

Bracewell said Dennington will make a great chamber chairman — he currently is chair-elect — "because he has all the right intentions," she said. "He's committed to the community, he's a business person who understands what it takes to run a business and he's a star volunteer, not just for businesses but also in the community."

Next up for is Guy Boucher, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will cook for a cause at Copper Bell Cafe's Riverview location. His chosen charity is the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.

The aim is for each celebrity chef to draw to the Copper Bell Cafe on their designated day a large — and hungry — crowd. The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, orders can be phoned in, with free delivery donated by Erik Butler of TakeOutButler.com.

The premise is simple: Dennington invites community local community leaders to serve as celebrity chefs on their designated day for the fundraiser. Dennington and his staff, sometimes with the aid of the celebrity chef, prepare the ingredients for the meals the night before.

All proceeds and gratuities from the day are donated to the charity designated by the celebrity chef.

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The Cooking for a Cause III Lineup For Brandon:

  • June 25 — Jen Holloway, marketing manager for Bright House Networks, the sponsor for this year's event. Her chosen charity: HARC, "one of the oldest and most-respected agencies serving people with disabilities in the Tampa Bay region."

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The Cooking for a Cause III Lineup for Riverview:

  • August 25 — Guy Boucher, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. His chosen charity: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.
  • Additional celebrity chefs for the Riverview location of the Copper Bell Cafe will be named and scheduled for October, Dennington said.

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