Ten cooks faced off Saturday in a sauce cookoff benefitting Hair We Share, a nonprofit that donates wigs to those in need, with the winner crowned Sauce Boss at Lily Flanagan’s in Babylon.
Presented by John Stentiford, the fourth-annual event raised more than $4,500 to advance the group’s mission to help maintain dignity, confidence, and self-esteem to those affected by medical hair loss.
“The camaraderie, the friendships, and overall showing of love is incredible and it’s the whole reason why I started this,” said Stentiford.
After the votes were tallied, the 2020 Sauce Boss trophy was awarded to Rose Petriello, who also claimed the title in 2017 and 2019.
“Thank you to all who came and all who worked so hard to pull it together,” said the group’s co-founders, Dean Riskin and Suzanne Chimera. “Because of your support, we are able to cover wig manufacturing expenses for 37 hair donations which will make seven wigs to be given free of charge to people with medical hair loss.”
Nearly 30,000 people sent the group their hair last year. In addition to the cooking competition, there were raffle prizes, pasta topped with voters’ favorite sauce, and more. Also available for purchase were Hair We Share T-Shirts and “Masklaces” designed and created by board member Karen Vito and her volunteers.
“I could never afford a real wig on my own,” a wig recipient who attended the Sauce Off said. “Thank you, John Stentiford, and everyone who came together to fulfill yet another need, my need to feel love and pride from our community. Today is a good day.”
To learn more about how to support Hair We Share, visit hairweshare.org
For more scene & seen event photos visit longislandpress.com/category/scene-seen
