Andy Cagnetta, CEO of Transworld Business Advisors, is pleased to announce that Andy’s 20th Annual Family Pasta Dinner presented by UKG and benefitting LifeNet4Families, will take place on Sunday, February 20, 2022, at Signature Grand in Davie. Over the past 20 years, this annual event has raised more than $1,900,000 for LifeNet4Families, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing necessary food, ancillary services, and referrals to those in need in Broward County.
In 2003, Andy Cagnetta started with an idea to invite his friends and family to the LifeNet4Families center to share what the non-profit was doing for those in need in our community. His goal was to raise a little bit of money (he raised $500 that year) and have a nice dinner with a few colleagues, friends, and family. In turn, that small gathering turned into twenty years of bringing families together for a great cause — supporting LifeNet4Families and the nonprofit’s mission to provide a gateway to stability for people in Broward County who were experiencing hunger, homelessness and/or poverty.
From its humble beginnings almost 20 years ago as a modest gathering in LifeNet4Families’ Community Kitchen, Andy’s Family Pasta Dinner historically attracts just about 1,000 guests annually! The event includes silent and live auctions, children’s activities and, of course, an old-fashioned family-style pasta dinner. This year, they expect to raise an additional $300,000 to fight hunger helping them reach a total giving of over $2 million to help those in need in our community!
“Twenty years ago, I started with a simple idea to invite my friends and family to LifeNet4Families to share what great things they were doing for the community. That evolved into Andy’s Annual Family Pasta Dinner,” said Andy Cagnetta, CEO of Transworld Business Advisors. “I started this tradition to raise awareness about LifeNet4Families, and I am so proud of what we have all done together to raise the much-needed funds to fight hunger and poverty throughout the years. Bringing awareness to the LifeNet4Families mission, while at the same time bringing families together, has exceeded our expectations.”
According to Life4NetFamilies, every day one in seven children in Broward County goes to bed hungry. In fact, nearly 258,000 people in Broward don’t know where their next meal is coming from. They are our neighbors, kids in our children’s classes – or families never noticed. These are the people that Cagnetta, his team at Transworld Business Advisors, and LifeNet4Families are trying to help.
“LifeNet4Families provides services that encourage people to begin again,” said Melanie Geddes, President/CEO of LifeNet4Families. “We are so thankful to Andy, his wife Allison and the team at Transworld Business Advisors for all that they have done through the years to support LifeNet4Families – both through the funds raised, as well as the awareness that they have helped create for our organization and those that we serve in our community.”
During Andy’s 20th Annual Family Pasta Dinner, attendees will enjoy a casual evening complete with a traditional, family-style pasta dinner. Similar to year’s past, Cagnetta will serve as Head Chef and Andy’s Family Pasta Dinner will recognize other Honorary Chefs for their efforts to better the South Florida community. The event will also focus on the importance of family bonding by incorporating substantive activities for kids to teach them the importance of giving back through its Junior Chef Component. At the dinner, Junior Chefs sponsored by Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital will be recognized alongside Honorary Chefs for their accomplishments in fundraising, community service and leadership.
The 2022 Honorary Chefs that are confirmed to date include Anne Basson; Carolyn Burns, Coldwell Banker CARES; Cindy Eisen; Joey Epstein, MBAF; Mayerlin Fana, Castle Group; Heather Geronemus, UKG; Don Glasgow, American Creative; Andrew Horowitz, Horowitz & Co.; Tom Jones, Transworld Business Advisors; Scott May, Insight Institute; Steve Sloane, Sloane Media; and Caitlin Stella, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital/Memorial Healthcare System. Additional Honorary Chefs will be announced shortly.\
Tickets for Andy’s Pasta Dinner are $50 per adult; two adult tickets are $100 and three adult tickets are $125; children 12 and under are free. Sponsorships are also available for as little as $250 with the Daily Services Sponsorship providing 150+ meals to the hungry. For more sponsorship opportunities and to purchase tickets to Andy’s 20th Annual Family Pasta Dinner presented by UKG and benefitting LifeNet4Families, please visit www.andyspastadinner.com.