Fantastic Food, Fabulous Cars & Fine Wine to Raise Funds for Leukemia Fight, Budding Chefs

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fantastic food, fabulous cars and fine wine will be served up at the fourth annual Garden Party, a fundraiser to help fight leukemia and assist budding chefs. The event will be held on Sunday, June 10, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the beautiful grounds of Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan.

The event will raise money for two Michigan-based organizations, Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan and Oakland Community College's Culinary Studies Institute.

"The Garden Party is a terrific opportunity to show support for families battling leukemia and help give them hope, as well as open the doors of opportunity for emerging talents who could be the Next Top Chef," said Sydney L. Ross, founder of The Garden Party Foundation and owner of Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, based in Highland Park. "The Garden Party is extremely fortunate and grateful for the support from our partners and entire community. We invite everyone to join us on June 10 at the new location, Meadow Brook Hall, to eat great food, admire classic cars and sample amazing wines. It's a great way to raise Michigan money, keep it in Michigan and help our fellow Michiganders."

The Garden Party will feature fare from more than 30 of Michigan's best restaurants including Andiamo Restaurant Group, Beverly Hills Grill, Northern Lakes Seafood Company, The Lark, The Rugby Grille and Trattoria Stella, among others. The exquisite cuisine offered during the affair will be paired with 100 of the finest wines, classic car display and live entertainment.

Tickets for The Garden Party are $150 per person. Attire is traditional Garden Party chic. The hosts request that ladies wear hats. Guests must be 18 to attend. Tickets can be purchased by calling 313-453-2200 ext. 1400 or visiting www.thegardenpartymichigan.org.

The Garden Party is presented by The Suburban Collection and sponsored by Atlas Oil, Bodman PLC, Celani Family Vineyards, Charity Motors, Comerica, GM Foundation, Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, HOUR Detroit, The Hungry Dudes, Korotkin Insurance Group, MillerCoors, The Morawski's, Plum Market, Plunkett Cooney, Ryder, The Somerset Collection, UHY Advisors, "News/Talk 760", "93.1 Doug-FM" and "96.3 WDVD Today's Best Hits". The Suburban Collection increased their sponsorship in 2012 to a presenting sponsorship.

In 2011, The Garden Party raised $35,000 each for Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan and the OCC Culinary Studies Institute, Ross said.

Headquartered in Troy, Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan is a statewide agency helping Michigan families cope with leukemia, lymphoma, and related disorders by providing information, financial assistance and emotional support.

OCC's Culinary Studies Institute provides students with hands-on experiences in one of the largest facilities of its type, with quality instruction by award-winning faculty.

About The Garden Party Foundation

The Garden Party Foundation was founded by Sydney L. Ross and his wife, Elizabeth. The Garden Party event was initiated and is maintained by The J. Lewis Cooper family and Elizabeth and Sydney L. Ross Foundation. The purpose of The Garden Party is to create a pleasant Sunday afternoon that is pleasing to the eye, the palate, and for its charitable aspect – pleasing to the soul. The Garden Party Foundation's mission is to support multiple local charities and use money raised to support Michigan causes. The foundation also aims to make The Garden Party the finest and most prominent food and wine event in the state. The Garden Party Foundation can be reached at 313.453.2200 ext 1400 or visit www.thegardenpartymichigan.org.

SOURCE The Garden Party