WASHINGTON/PRNewswire/ -- Share Our Strength, the nation's leading anti-hunger organization committed to ending childhood hunger, will host a Restaurants for Relief Gala in Washington, DC on October 17. Fifty of the top chefs from around the country, including Todd Gray (Equinox, Washington, D.C.,), Roberto Donna (Galileo, Washington, DC), Norman Van Aken (Coral Gables, FL) and Mary Sue Milliken (Santa Monica, CA) will create a southern tasting extravaganza as a tribute to the affected region to raise much needed relief and recovery funds for Hurricane Katrina. The event will feature special entertainment as well as exciting silent and live auctions.

One hundred percent of the funds raised will support the efforts to rebuild the food banks in the Gulf area with whom Share Our Strength has long standing partnerships and whose services will be in greater demand than ever. These funds will ensure that desperately needed aid for both immediate and long-term care is distributed to the thousands of families impacted by the hurricane.

"Share Our Strength is responding to this tragedy by doing what we do best. We're mobilizing the best chefs in the country for this event," said Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength. "Against a catastrophe of this scale, it sometimes seems impossible to do anything that feels significant, but it's also clear that every effort helps. I'm inspired by how many people have contacted us wanting urgently to share their strengths at this moment."

The event, being held Monday, October 17 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm, is being hosted by the National Building Museum.

"As a museum dedicated to exploring the built environment, we are especially aware of the hardships endured by people who have lost their homes and communities," said Chase W. Rynd, Executive Director of the National Building Museum. "Partnering with Share Our Strength to host this fundraiser gives us the opportunity to help those in need in the most immediate sense."

Delta Airlines, Inc., the official airline sponsor for the evening's event, will be donating tickets to help bring in many of these chefs. Additionally, The Art Institute of Washington Culinary Arts Program will turn over its facility and its students to assist the visiting chefs in preparing and serving their tasting portions.

For event details and to purchase tickets, please go to http://www.strength.org/. For more information, call (202) 478-6527.

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger organizations, is committed to building the first hunger-free generation in America. More than 13 million children face hunger in our country and through innovative fund-raising opportunities -- from holding volunteer-led special events to developing unique corporate partnerships -- Share Our Strength is working towards ensuring these children have access to nutritious food that enables them to learn, grow and thrive. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $188 million supporting more than 1,100 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide.