An evening of culinary excellence
Signature Chefs Auction, Charleston

The Charleston Signature Chefs Auction is a 25-year strong tradition. With your help, we can make a real difference for moms and babies at a time when they need us most. As March of Dimes' premier fundraiser, this event celebrates culinary excellence featuring top local chefs along with a silent & live auction and a compelling appeal to support our mission. Join us on Thursday, November 21, to raise critical funds for healthy moms and strong babies. Save the Date for the Charleston Signature Chefs Auction as we strive to reach our goal of $620,000. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor Atlas Tech, the 2024 Chairman Ted Finucan, our Executive Leadership Team, and guests who make up the Signature Chefs Auction community for coming together in support of moms & babies. 

Much gratitude goes out to Atlas Tech for their unwavering dedication to advancing the mission of March of Dimes.

For a remarkable 17 years, Atlas Tech has partnered with March of Dimes as a steadfast supporter, and for the past seven years, has assumed the esteemed role of Presenting Sponsor. This enduring commitment is a testament to their profound belief in fighting for the health of all moms and babies.

It is with immense pride that we recall the 2021 Signature Chefs Auction, where Atlas Tech CEO Brian Miller and Vice President David Diehl were honored with the prestigious Bill Hall Legacy Award. In their actions and spirit, both gentlemen embody the same unwavering dedication that Mr. Bill Hall himself epitomized.

Every member at Atlas Tech has seamlessly woven the mission of March of Dimes into their hearts. Thank you to Atlas Tech, and the Atlas Tech team, for making March of Dimes and our mission such an integral part of the charitable work you do.

This year's Chairman, Ted Finucan, has a key role in the sucess of the Charleston Signature Chefs Feeding Motherhood Gala. Ted became a Partner for Davis Supply of Charleston in June 2023. He is responsible for strategic growth and executive management. Ted is skilled in negotiation, budgeting, sales management and team building. Born and raised in Charleston, Ted earned a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from Winthrop University. He lives on Johns Island with his wife, Heather, children: Jack, 14, and Garrett Gray, 11, and one dog, Fritz. He enjoys fishing, hunting, his family beach house on Folly and spending time on the water.  

Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) helps us make a difference for all moms and all babies! The ELT shares, "we are humbled to be bringing awareness to the community for all that March of Dimes offers to moms and babies in our area." Thank you to our Chairman Ted Finucan and Executive Leadership Team for their time and dedication towards the March of Dimes mission.

We are honored to have:
• Caroline Bell – Campaign Committee Chair
• Ashleigh Thomas – Auction Committee Chair
• Jennifer Thompson – Logistics Committee Chair
• Yakisha Bookard – Member
• Chris Harper – Member
• Margaret Mays – Member
• Sandra Patrick – Member
• Darren Scott – Member 

2 women will die from pregnancy-related causes today. And every day. 2 babies die every hour in the U.S. 4,000,000 babies benefit from our research, vaccines, education, advocacy and breakthroughs. 

George, Chelsey, Cooper and Edwin Cooke are graciously serving as the 2024 Ambassador Family for Charleston. With your gift at Signature Chefs, you can help to fund research, education, advocacy and support to ensure more moms, like Chelsey, and more babies, like Cooper and Edwin, are healthy. March of Dimes is dedicated to giving every baby the brightest possible start. Learn more about the Cooke Family and give a gift to their Ambassador Page!

We are pleased to have Chef Vinson Petrillo with The Restaurant at Zero George & Costa* and Chef Orlando Pagán with Wild Common as our Co-Lead Chefs for the 2024 Signature Chefs Auction. 

Meet Chef Vinson Petrillo
Chef Vinson Petrillo is the Executive Chef for Costa* and The Restaurant at Zero George, and the Creative Culinary Director for Easton Porter Group. Chef Petrillo draws inspiration from his Southern Italian roots and childhood memories around the Sunday dinner table of his New Jersey home. His simplistic approach weaves the local bounty of the seasons with specialty ingredients from around the world, working closely with regional farmers and fishermen. At Costa*, Petrillo’s vision is to celebrate coastal Italian tradition through a contemporary lens with an emphasis on the sea.

A Johnson & Wales University graduate, Petrillo honed his culinary skills in some of New York’s finest kitchens, earning Zagat 30 under 30 when he was just 24. Before opening The Restaurant at Zero George a decade ago, he served as chef de cuisine at Prospect, a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient. In 2015, his innovative, technical cuisine won him the regional title at the San Pellegrino Young Chef competition and a spot in the international competition at the Expo Milano, sharing the stage with the world’s best and brightest young chefs. The following year, he was recognized by Plate Magazine as one of the top new chefs in the country in their “Chefs to Watch 2016.” In 2021, Petrillo was invited to join the prestigious community of Krug Ambassadors, an ongoing partnership creating unique collaborative dining and cooking class experiences.

Chef Petrillo's passion goes beyond the kitchen in his dedicated support of community organizations including March of Dimes, Autism Speaks, and Kids on Point.
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Meet Chef Orlando Pagán
Chef Orlando Pagán has always felt a strong pull toward the kitchen. Setting his sights on a career as a chef, Pagán left Puerto Rico after high school to attend Johnson & Wales University in Miami. Following graduation, Pagán remained in Florida where he spent three years at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove's Bizcaya Grill Restaurant. Heading westward to San Francisco, he cooked in a handful of acclaimed restaurants including several Michelin-starred restaurants –– Restaurant Gary Danko, State Bird Provisions, Ame Restaurant, The Village Pub, Aziza, and Spruce.

After a second cross-country move in March 2017, Pagán settled in the Lowcountry to join Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's Tavern, eventually becoming Executive Chef in the summer of 2018. In February 2019, Pagán opened Wild Common in the heart of downtown Charleston, where he currently leads the culinary program as Executive Chef and was named a 2022 James Beard Semi-Finalist. His latest venture under the Easton Porter Group umbrella is the opening of another Charleston property, Alcove Market, a neighborhood gathering place for healthy breakfast and lunch, and a convenient one-stop shop for specialty food and wine.

When he’s not in the kitchen, Pagán may be found playing golf or spending time with his wife and two young children.
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We will have an incredible lineup of some of Charleston's most well-known chefs who pour their time, heart and resources into furthing March of Dimes mission. Nowhere else can you experience the best in Charleston cuisine all in one place! Our chefs are artists, innovators and philanthropists, and we look forward to sharing their talents with you.

Jacqueline Lawrence, event designer and owner of inventivENVIRONMENTS, creates the divine feeling of our Charleston Signature Chefs Auction each year. A huge thank you for transforming our gala over the past 15 years into an evening of elegance and celebration for moms and babies.