Cooking For Wishes: Make-A-Wish Fundraiser to Change Lives

February, 2025

During the darkest days of her battle with cancer, which began before her 2nd birthday, Libbi LeDuff could do little more than watch Disney movies from her hospital bed. Too weak to even play, the young girl dreamed of being a princess, like the ones on TV. It was no doubt part young girl fantasy and part necessary escape from a reality filled with pain and suffering.

Libbi wasn’t the only one wishing for better days. “There were many nights I stared out the hospital window and daydreamed about being at Disney World with Libbi healthy and vibrant,” said Chris LeDuff, Libbi’s dad.

Sometimes, the dreams of both kids and adults can come true, as this one did, thanks to Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida. Just after her 4th birthday, Libbi spent time with the princesses and Disney characters she had only previously seen on screen. She rode in horse-drawn carriages and explored theme parks with front-of-the-line passes. Staying at Give Kids The World Village, a resort solely for wish families, Libbi personalized a star that will forever shine in the Castle of Miracles.

The experience is one the LeDuff’s will never forget. “To physically be there (at Disney) during the fireworks show and see Libbi sitting on her dad’s shoulders, cheering and screaming her lungs out while singing the songs, it was just a really special moment,” said Libbi’s mom, Stephanie LeDuff.

Libbi’s story, and others like it, will be part of this month’s “Cooking for Wishes” event at the Circus Arts Conservatory in Sarasota. The annual fundraiser, a four-course, interactive dinner where guests at each table prepare their own meal under the direction of Michael’s On East Executive Chef Jamil Piñeda, is where funding for many of the wishes granted on the Suncoast originates.

“The money we’ll raise is vital to fulfilling the mission to find every medically-eligible child and grant them a life-changing wish,” said Terri Klauber, Cooking for Wishes co-chair. “Because of all our efforts, kids like Libbi and their families benefit from what research shows is not just a nice experience, but a necessary one.”

Now in its 15th year – and co-chaired by Klauber, Renee Phinney, and Lauren McComb Dixon – the February 20 dinner features wine selected by Michael Klauber, live and silent auctions, and the LeDuff’s speaking about the life-changing nature of their wish experience. Proceeds from the Moulin Rouge-themed event will ensure local children that have critical-illnesses receive their wishes (average cost: $8,000) at no cost or obligation to the family.

To learn more about Cooking for Wishes, sponsorship opportunities, and to see about the availability of tickets, visit www.cookingforwishes.com.

Make-A-Wish Southern Florida has granted more than 14,000 life-changing wishes since 1983 for children who have critical illnesses. It aims to grant a wish for every medically-eligible child referred to it.

Wish kids most often ‘wish to be’ (something), ‘wish to meet’ (someone), ‘wish to go’ (somewhere), ‘wish to have’ (something), or ‘wish to give’ (something) and the nonprofit organization makes this happen for the child and his/her entire family at no cost or obligation.

The Southern Florida chapter’s territory includes 22 counties/four regions: the Suncoast (Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties), Tampa Bay, southeast and southwest Florida. It also includes the U.S. Virgin Islands. Follow and engage with Make-A-Wish Southern Florida on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.