NEW YORK – The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) will hold its annual Food & Wine Gala at the Metropolitan Club, 1 East 60th St. in Manhattan on Tuesday, November 6. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and wine tasting at 6:30 PM, followed by a dinner and special program.

The event features an exclusive menu curated by renowned Chef Costas Spiliadis of estiatorio Milos in New York City. The evening will be hosted by Deborah Norville, Anchor of Inside Edition and member of The NYSPCC Children’s Council.

Chef Costas Spiliadis spoke with The National Herald about the event, “I am honored to partner with the NYSPCC as Guest Chef for the 2018 Annual Food & Wine Gala at the Metropolitan Club.  Specifically, I am moved by the work they are doing on behalf of abused and neglected children and grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness and funds to support their Trauma Recovery and Safe Touches programs which help New York’s vulnerable young people.”

Dr. Mary Pulido, Executive Director of The NYSPCC, also spoke with TNH, noting that “The Food & Wine Gala is one of our most important nights of the year – it helps ensure that New York’s most vulnerable children will receive the help they desperately need.” said Dr. Pulido, Executive Director of The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

“Some of the most influential and generous people in business, policy and philanthropy attend to help us to raise vital funding for our organization and the children it benefits. Of course, it’s a fun evening as well – we’re so fortunate this year to feature a live auction, a wine tasting, and to partner with a Greek Chef – Chef Costas Spiliadis – to provide excellent cuisine paired expertly with fine wine from Greece, carefully selected and graciously donated by the Chef’s son, George Spiliadis (of Greek wine distributor Cava Spiliadis). Our ‘theme’ is further highlighted by the launch of our Safe Touches program in Greece, funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and made possible by our partnership with ELIZA, The NYSPCC’s Greek counterpart,” Dr. Pulido said.

Proceeds of the Food & Wine Gala support The NYSPCC’s Trauma Recovery Program which offers a specialized therapeutic program for children, ages 5-18, who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, traumatic bereavement, or who have witnessed family violence and Safe Touches,  a child sexual abuse prevention workshop for children in grades K-3.

To purchase tickets, or for more information, please visit: www.nyspcc.org/galatickets18.

The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) is the first — and one of the most highly respected — child protective agencies in the world. Founded in 1875, the NYSPCC helps the most vulnerable children of our community recover from trauma. And, more importantly, it helps prevent child abuse through its work with parents, teachers, children and foster care agencies. More than a century since its founding, The NYSPCC’s amazing work is used as a model for child abuse prevention centers across the nation. The NYPSCC has investigated more than 650,000 cases on behalf of over two million children and has educated over 47,000 professionals working with children on child abuse and neglect issues. www.nyspcc.org.