ABC11 Together: Triangle chefs joining forces for picnic to fight opioid epidemic

Well-known Triangle chefs are joining forces this weekend to help fight the opioid epidemic.

Blake Gotliffe, owner of Clayton's Under the Oak Farm and Cafe in Clayton, is hosting a fundraising event in honor of his best friend, Reece Byrd.

Reece died from a heroin overdose two years ago.

"He was the kindest, most loving and fun person I have ever known," said Gotliffe. "When he passed, being an opiate addiction survivor myself, I decided to do whatever I could to help prevent more beautiful souls from leaving this earth to early."

Gotliffe has assembled 15 Triangle chefs for a Sunday evening picnic on his farm in Clayton for the "Roots for Reece" event.

Gotliffe says 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, a non-profit works to prevent opiate overdoses.

In addition to the chefs, breweries, distilleries, and purveyors are creating a picnic spread that will include small plates, craft beer, cocktails, wine, live music and more, all under the canopy of an oak tree.

Participating Chefs:

Andrew Smith - Former Executive Chef, Buku Wake Forest

Caroline Morrison - Chef/Owner, The Fiction Kitchen

Jake Wood - Executive Chef, Plates Neighborhood Kitchen

Kim Conyer Hunter - Chef/Owner, Umma Dumpling

Serge Falcoz-vigne - Executive Chef, Saint Jacques French Cuisine

Christopher Lopez - Executive Chef, Postmaster

Katrin Sydnor - Pastry Chef, Garland and Co-owner, Way Out Confections

Regan Stachler - Chef/Owner, Hull Foods

Bobby McFarland - Consulting Chef for The Kitchen

Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Ruiz - Chefs, Wye Hill Kitchen + Brewing

Marco Zapata - Pastry Chef, Whiskey Kitchen

Betty Saleh - Executive Chef, Neomonde

Margaret Hennessee - Chef/Owner, Maxamillions

Megan Campbell Gotliffe - Pastry Chef, I Do Cakes LLC

Blake Gotliffe - Chef/Owner, Under the Oak Cafe

Breweries and distilleries:

Deep River Brewing Company

Double Barley Brewing

Neuse River Brewing

Wye Hill Kitchen + Brewing

TOPO Organic Distillery

Ticket Information:

Tickets are available online for $100 per adult and $15 per child.

Tickets include food, drinks, a raffle ticket and a Roots for Reece t-shirt.

When:

Sunday, June 23

4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Where:

Under the Oak Farm

1126 Ridge Drive

Clayton, N.C. 27520