Blue Star Families!

Last night we went to the US Chamber of Commerce Hall of Flags room for the Blue Star Neighbors Celebration honoring extraordinary Americans who have gone above and beyond to help military families.

We snapped political consultant and the night’s emcee Mary Matalin with We Are The Mighty’s Ward Carroll. To aid Blue Star Families' mission to bridge the gap between civilian and military communities, military chefs joined with local chefs to provide dishes that inspired each branch's primary combat area.

Delicious tastes included a rigatoni and bolognese dish at the US Army table featuring Equinox chef Todd Gray and a gulf shrimp dish from Bayou Bakery’s chef David Guas and Navy Chef Derrick Davenport. Here, board member Mary Murphy, DRS Technologies’ Bill Lynn, and former US Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey.

2016 Blue Star Neighbor award winner Joy Roulette is with her husband, Donald Roulette. She was nominated by her friend Colleen Cekovsky (third from left), a National Guard spouse, for being a wonderful friend and setting up a network of people to deliver weekly meals and supportive notes to her and her children while her husband, Air Force Master Sargent MSGT Chris Cekovsky, was deployed.

Musical act Sister Sledge performed their famous We Are Family for the crowd. Here, USAA’s John Bird, Eric Engquist, Harriet Dominique and Justin Schmitt with DOL’s Terry Gerton. Guests were given beads to give their favorite chef to win best dish of the night. The celebrity chefs asked their military partners to intern with them in the future so they have a place to work when they finish in the service. We also tasted dishes from Restaurant Eve, PassionFish, Marcel’s, Masseria, and Joe’s Seafood.