For the City Times

With the addition of chef Rick Ciszewski as chef at Hilltop Grand Village, he was also invited to take part in the ‘Men in the Kitchen’.

This fundraiser for The Family Center is in its 14th year. Celebrity chefs (and some professionals, too), create themed dinners for tables of eight guests. Sponsors and the public purchase tickets to the meal, with the proceeds benefiting the domestic abuse shelter in Wisconsin Rapids.

Hilltop will sponsor Ciszewski and provide the ingredients for the meal, which he will prepare. Hilltop’s executive director, Mitchell Bain, will help serve the meal.

This year’s event will be Feb. 25 at Bull’s Eye Country Club. The Hilltop Grand Village table will be themed for Mardi Gras and feature okra salad, shrimp creole and jambalaya with chocolate bon bons and pecan pie for dessert.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Best of all, it will help The Family Center. “The Family Center is staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” according to its website, http://familyctr.org/

“All contacts are confidential and all services are provided at no cost to clients. In partnership with a variety of community agencies, The Family Center helps to set victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault on the path to violence-free lives. We provide safe shelter for people who are in crisis as a result of domestic violence. The Family Center also offers advocacy and self-help/support groups, as well as transitional,visitation and Hmong services. We believe that all people have them right to a safe and healthy environment.”

For more information, please call 715-423-7400.