Guy Fieri, an Emmy Award-winning television personality and host of the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is lending his support to “Top Chef” alum Shirley Chung as she battles Stage 4 tongue cancer.
On Monday, Fieri, 56, announced via Instagram that he and his nonprofit, the Guy Fieri Foundation, which the restaurateur established in 2011, have organized an upcoming fundraising event, with proceeds benefitting Chung’s cancer treatments and medical bills.
“Great chefs and friends will be coming together in wine country to create an evening that no one will ever forget,” he added. “PS: The amount of surprise chefs showing up should be pretty epic!”
According to the post, guests will include Fieri’s eldest son, Hunter, 28, whom the restaurateur shares with his wife, Lori. The couple, who wed in 1995, are also parents to son Ryder, 18, and helped to raise Fieri’s 25-year-old nephew, Jules, after the Food Network host’s sister, Morgan, passed away from metastatic melanoma in 2011.
The array of prominent chefs who will also be present during the fundraising event include Antonia Lofaso, Jet Tila, Mei Lin, Stephanie Izard, Crista Luedtke, Maneet Chauhan, Karen Akunowicz, and Buddha Lo, among many others.
Chung’s Cancer Battle
Chung, 47, took to social media on Wednesday to provide her fans and followers with a health update amid her cancer battle.Chung—who appeared as a finalist on two seasons of Bravo’s hit cooking show—posted to her Instagram Stories that she had begun a “full week of testing” at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“My arms used to [be] filled with burn marks/oven kisses from cooking, now is [a] different kind of battle wounds, bruises and hardening veins from chemo + IV,” she penned in a separate Story, which featured a photo of her receiving treatment.
The “Top Chef” alum revealed her cancer diagnosis earlier this summer, writing in an Instagram post that she first began experiencing dental issues last December. After biting her tongue, fracturing a tooth, and experiencing a bout of mouth ulcers, the celebrity chef sought help from an oral surgeon in May, who discovered a “hidden tumor” underneath her tongue.
“I just finished 6 weeks of Chemo (and have many more to go), going to the hospital 4 times a week for injections, it’s like a full time job. My tumor is shrinking, my speech is much better and I can eat most normal food now. I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable,” she continued in part.
“I am learning, I can be strong 98% of the time, it’s ok to be not ok. I have a tough long road to recovery in front of me. Your love and support will carry me through. Cheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!”
In an ensuing post, the chef announced that she and her husband, Jimmy Lee, had made the difficult decision to close their fast-casual Chinese American restaurant, Ms. Chi Cafe, so that Chung could focus on her recovery.
On Aug. 16, Chung shared a video on Instagram commemorating her final day at the Culver City, California-based eatery.
“We are especially grateful to our incredible team—many of whom have been with us since day one. In these last two weeks, you’ve worked tirelessly, showing up every day, exhausted but driven, working with all your heart to keep us serving our community. You are the heart of Ms Chi.”
