The Hungarian Hospice Foundation once again achieved its goal at this year’s donors’ dinner
The Hungarian Hospice Foundation hosted its annual donor event, the Benefactors’ Dinner, for the 12th time this year. Launched in 2013 by the Nárcisz Dining Society, this fundraising dinner has become the finest testament to a noble collaboration that has grown into a tradition in its fairy-tale twelfth year.
Held in the Foundation’s garden on the first Wednesday of September each year, the dinner is a shared celebration for leading figures in Hungarian gastronomy and the Foundation’s supporters.
“Eat well, do good!” - this is the motto of these evenings, and so, in the spirit of the magical number twelve, over the past twelve years this dinner has grown into an event celebrating shared responsibility, care, and dignified support. It’s almost a miracle that it has never rained during the dinner held in the Foundation’s garden on the first Wednesday of September; over the past 12 years, after the occasional overcast morning, guests have always been greeted by pleasant summer evening weather under the garden’s trees by the time dinner began. For twelve years, these evenings have been enduring and heartwarming examples of social solidarity, where we can be part of the exemplary, joyful, and - last but not least - crucial collaboration between supporters and organizers, hosts and donors.
For this evening, the Foundation’s garden will be transformed into a dinner venue decorated with lanterns and flowers, where leading figures in the Hungarian hospitality industry will come together for a good cause. The Benefactors’ Dinner began more than ten years ago with the goal of having the restaurants of the Nárcisz Dining Society contribute one course each during the evening, while guests would support the Foundation’s patient care activities through the cost of their admission. In recent years, the event’s popularity has grown to such an extent that a few years ago they were able to set a specific goal: the proceeds from the Benefactors’ Dinner make it possible to cover the costs of maintaining a two-bed patient room for half a year at the Budapest Hospice House, which is operated by the Foundation. These dinner events are among the finest examples of social responsibility, solidarity, and charity as community-building forces; not least, they are gatherings enriched with culinary and cultural experiences that provide an unforgettable evening for the guests.
Zsófi Mautner has been the host of the event for many years; her opening remarks this year focused on our traditions. Our traditions and recurring customs create value year after year; today, they repeat in a cyclical pattern, providing strength and support while also fostering a sense of belonging among the members of the community built around the Foundation.
Dr. Krisztina Tóth, the Foundation’s medical director, spoke about the challenges they’ve faced over the past few years—twelve, to be exact, since there’s been at least one challenge every year. There are causes worth standing behind in the long term, even for a lifetime, and this evening, this dinner, is proof of just that.
Many are returning restaurants that have participated since the very first year—such as Fausto’s, Robinson Restaurant, and Trattoria Pomo D’Oro—while others, like Babka on Pozsonyi Road or Rutin Budaörs, have joined the dinner in recent years or this year. This year, the number of participating restaurants and catering sponsors is exactly twelve; the founders and owners of Ürömi Hütte, Bartók – reggel.délben.este., and the Karnevál Restaurant in Szentendre have also been part of the Nárcisz Asztaltársaság community since its early years. Over the years, La Fiesta has expanded from catering to include restaurants as well; last year’s newcomer was the nearby Cut & Barrel bistro. Among the desserts, alongside the long-standing Pataki Cukrászda, this year saw the addition of The Box Donut and Gelato Italiano, and a sweet surprise every year is the dessert created by hostess Zsófi Mautner. This year, the evening was accompanied by Colorwines’ selection of Central European wines and sparkling wines, First Craft Beer’s craft beers, and Premirum’s specialties. For the first time this year, the event organizers also received assistance from the Progressive Advertising Agency.
The atmosphere at these evenings is always both relaxed and truly friendly. Old acquaintances sit around a table, sample the food and drinks, and the evening concludes with a special silent auction and raffle. To the organizers’ great delight, in recent years they have succeeded in achieving their goal and providing the funds to maintain a two-bed hospital room for half a year.
The Foundation’s supporters’ dinner is an outstanding example of shaping complex social attitudes through gastronomy—a delicious and exceptionally useful form of community engagement.
“Let’s make some good nokedli, and then there won’t be any big problems!” - as Dávid Pallag, chef at Rutin Budaörs, said during the evening. And indeed. Let’s support, celebrate, and sustain our communities in the spirit of dignity, reliability, and stability. We thank the Hungarian Hospice Foundation for more than three decades of persistent and selfless work.