Throughout the year, Water to Thrive holds events to raise awareness of our mission and funds to support it, with proceeds going to help fund our budget and to allow us to maintain our 100 Percent Promise that every dollar donated for a water project will go to that water project. We started Chef’s Table Austin in 2012 and have seen it become our signature fundraising event. We hold smaller events throughout the year, from Shop for a Cause evenings with local businesses to holiday shops with our own merchandise from Ethiopian markets. We participate in larger events like Central Texas’ Amplify Austin and the worldwide observations of Giving Tuesday and World Water Day. And our supporters hold and participate in events as well, from the delight of lemonade stands to taking part in larger fundraisers on our behalf.
Chef’s Table Austin Virtual
Water to Thrive’s 100 Percent Promise means that every dollar donated to water goes entirely to support water projects. All the expenses of running our organization must be raised from our signature event, Chef’s Table Austin, and from special donors who support the infrastructure of the organization, Water Angles and Water Guardians. Chef’s Table Austin is typically a one-night event that includes dinner, a live auction of dinner experiences from Austin’s finest chefs, a silent auction, and a VIP reception. This year, due to the pandemic, we are going online! Join Water to Thrive for our first ever Chef’s Table Austin Virtual curated cooking series! You’ll be able to cook a 5-star meal from the comfort of your own home while knowing you are supporting our mission to bring clean water to those in need.
The first event in the series is happening on December 5, 2021 from 6-7:30 pm. When you purchase a ticket to attend, you will receive the Zoom link to tune in to the call on the appointed night. Each chef event will feature a pre-taped cooking demonstration which will be played during the Zoom call. The chef and an MC will be on the call to narrate the demonstration and answer questions from the audience the night of the event.
Attendees can simply watch and enjoy or participate fully. For your ticket, you will receive:
1. The link to watch from the comfort of your home
2. The menu along with prepping instructions so you are ready to cook
3. The shopping list along with recommendations for wine pairings
4. The recording of the entire segment for reference
5. Entry into a raffle for intimate dinner with the featured chef (Austin area winners within 100 miles will receive dinner for six at the Chef’s restaurant or preferred location, outside of the Austin area, winners will receive dinner for two and one night’s stay at an Austin hotel).
*Dinner winners will arrange the dinner with the chef within one year of the award date, on a date convenient to both parties. Please note most chefs/restaurants will require a non-weekend date due to the demands of their restaurants.
Stay tuned for more information on how to register to attend!
Supporter Events
Through the years, we have been touched and amazed by the number of ways our supporters have raised money on our behalf. A third-grade class earmarked the proceeds of a business fair for Water to Thrive. One of our Water Angels sponsored a trunk show event featuring jewelry and textiles brought back from the markets of Ethiopia. Other supporters have held in-home merchandise parties on our behalf. Children have held lemonade stands, student organizations have sold t-shirts and played dodgeball, and one college economics class even developed a business plan around donating profits to us from a salsa brand they created.
If you can imagine an event you’d like to hold on our behalf, we are here to help, from providing you with materials to share to coordinating social media efforts. For information and resources, please contact Executive Director Susanne Wilson.