BURST
Filipino-born, Vancouver-raised, chef Mark Singson is healing his broken heart over the Lapu Lapu festival tragedy in Vancouver in the way he knows best.
He’ll be cooking fundraising dinners in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver to benefit those who were affected by the horrific incident that happened on April 26 in Vancouver, when a man drove a black SUV into a crowd of festivalgoers shortly after 8 p.m.
“While it’s difficult to move forward, I know the best way to honour those we lost is to keep showing up — with food, music, and the love that binds our community,” Singson said of the fundraiser.
In Vancouver, Singson will take over Bar Susu at 209 East Sixth Ave. from May 21 to May 23 for a three-day pop up followed on May 24 by a block party.
Proceeds from the block party will be donated directly to the GoFundMe pages of victims, according to Singson. The dishes, priced from $18 to $24, will celebrate Filipino food “in true Mark Singson style,” which means bold, inventive and modern.
“This tragedy left a mark not only on my Filipino brothers and sisters, but on the entire Vancouver community,” says Singson. “The Filipino spirit is what makes this city so special — kind, generous and full of heart.”
The celebrated chef, who was the runner-up on the sixth season of Top Chef Canada, currently operates FAM Inc., staging private events with food, art and music.
Singson also contributed to the meal program spearheaded by Chef TJ Conwin, which delivered prepared meals directly to victims after the tragedy.
The multi-city food fundraiser is one of several initiatives by Filipino community members to help support victims. Matthew Celestial, founder of the Toronto-based skin care brand Matte Equation recently pledged to donate 50 per cent of all sales of the brand’s products through May 31 to the United Way B.C.’s Filipino Community Fund. To learn more, visit uwbc.ca.
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