Later this week, a celebrity chef with a big “haht” returns to “Brevahd.” Food Network star Beau MacMillan — in his trademark Bostonian accent — will share not only his food, but his passion to help those in need. In this case, the Robbins family of Merritt Island.
On Friday night, guests can get a taste of MacMillan’s culinary expertise at the second annual Auction and Walk to benefit Transverse Myelitis in Honor of Sarah Robbins. The walk is set for Saturday morning at Rotary Park on Merritt Island.
“I’m jacked! It’s for an amazing cause,” he said last week by phone. “When I do stuff like this, it’s not about me trying to make an impression. It’s not about me putting it out there so creatively … or reinventing the wheel. But it’s not about me playing it safe either.”
His cooking chops
MacMillan, who also goes by BeauMac, is a frequent judge on “Guy’s Grocery Games.” He bested fellow Food Network star Bobby Flay in “Iron Chef: America” Battle: Kobe Beef and transformed some of the “Worst Cooks in America” into five-star chefs as season one co-host.
And those who attend the dinner function will get a taste of that high-calibre cooking.
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Along with his sous chef, Chris Schuetta, and the kitchen staff at the DoubleTree in Cocoa Beach, MacMillan will feed 120 people.
BeauMac volunteered his time in Brevard two years ago during a food and wine festival in Cocoa Beach. Previously, he attended his pal Tim Wakefield’s celebrity events as well. Wakefield is a former pitcher with the Boston Red Sox and Melbourne native. He was a baseball star at Eau Gallie High.
Jason Robbins, Sarah’s father and organizer of this weekend’s fundraisers, met BeauMac during one of those charity events. Robbins had purchased a dinner and resort trip that BeauMac had donated to the Space Coast Early Intervention Center.
“We met him after bidding on something, and we just became friends,” Robbins said. “We went out there (to Arizona) about eight months later and kept in contact. When I was putting this event together, I called him and invited him to come, just to come. He said, ‘No. I’m coming and preparing dinner.'”
BeauMac recalled the exchange: “I’m like, ‘Jase, you’re my buddy, bro. I realize how important this is. What you’re trying to do here for others, how close you are to this, all I want to do is come down there and knock it out of the park for you.'”
About the cause
The Robbins family aims to raise awareness and funding for research for Transverse Myelitis, a rare neurological disease. Sarah, who has special needs, undergoes physical therapy to help her mobility. Her mom, Tina, often posts photos of a smiling Sarah on Facebook, generating support.
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“This is a disease that doesn’t catch much attention,” Jason Robbins said. “These events are not like cancer walks or anything like that, where they have millions of people following the disease. You have about 1,400 cases a year in the U.S., which makes this a rare disease. We have to do this.
“It’s a high priority event for us,” he added, “and Beau MacMillan’s helped us take it up a notch.”
Features include a live and silent auction filled with trips and artwork by local artists.
BeauMac won’t be the only celebrity there. Robbins said there will be some former NFL football players, and actor John D’Aquino (“Charmed,” “Melrose Place” and “Corey in the House”) will be the emcee and auctioneer.
On Thursday, BeauMac and Schuetta will be in the “foreign” kitchen prepping.
“It got down to the 5-yard line here,” BeauMac said. “I realized these guys really were comfortable with me. I wasn’t going to be some chef who got on a TV show and now comes in and wants to take control. It was, ‘how can I make this the best experience for the people who are paying to come out and celebrate the evening?'”
“As a cook, as a chef, you can walk in to any kitchen and kind of feel at home,” Schuetta said.
Guests, he added, will end the evening with a sweet treat: buttermilk panna cotta with passionfruit and blueberry compote.
“One of the biggest compliments I get as a chef is when people see me on TV, they say, ‘I liked you because you come across so real. There’s no on/off switch there,'” BeauMac said. “When it comes to food, it’s my first language.
“That’s what I’m coming down there to do,” he added, “to share my story. Hopefully people like my food and my story.”
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Contact Sangalang ar 321-242-3630
or jsangalang@floridatoday.com.
Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @byjensangalang
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The details
What: Auction and Walk to benefit Transverse Myelitis in Honor of Sarah Robbins
When, where and how much: The celebrity dinner is from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Dec. 12 at DoubleTree Hotel, 2080 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Sponsorship tickets for the auction are $125, $250 for dinner for two, $500 for dinner for four and $1,250 for a table of eight.
When, where and how much: The walk component of the fundraiser is from 8 to noon Dec. 13 at Rotary Park on Merritt Island. In May 2013, organizer Jason Robbins said about 250 people attended the walk in Cocoa Village. This time, it’s a change of venue and date. “It’s a little nicer to walk the second weekend of December than it is the end of May,” he explained, citing the weather.
Info: Call Jason and Tina Robbins at 321-446-8448.
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What is Transverse Myelitis?
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Transverse Myelitis is “a neurological disorder caused by inflammation across both sides of one level, or segment, of the spinal cord. … Symptoms of transverse myelitis include a loss of spinal cord function over several hours to several weeks. What usually begins as a sudden onset of lower back pain, muscle weakness, or abnormal sensations in the toes and feet can rapidly progress to more severe symptoms, including paralysis, urinary retention, and loss of bowel control. Although some patients recover from transverse myelitis with minor or no residual problems, others suffer permanent impairments that affect their ability to perform ordinary tasks of daily living.”
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Tune in
Watch celebrity chef Beau MacMillan aka BeauMac as a judge on “Guy’s Grocery Games,” which airs at 8 p.m. Sundays on Food Network. MacMillan is executive chef at Elements at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz. Visit sanctuaryoncamelback.com or follow Beau on Twitter: @chefbeaumac
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