Ex-NFL Star Logan Ryan Hosts Star-Studded Culinary Gala to To Help Animal Shelters

At a lively fundraiser for animal shelters, nine Tampa restaurants served up their best dishes while NFL players judged an exciting cooking competition. Through food sampling, auctions, and hanging out with athletes, guests supported local animal rescue efforts. Guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks while chatting with sports stars and chefs in a relaxed atmosphere.

Bucs stars Jamel Dean and Rachaad White served as guest judges. Between samples, guests voted for their favorite dishes in the cooking competition.

While checking out NFL memorabilia, attendees donated to help shelter animals. Silent and live auctions of sports items kept donations flowing throughout the evening.

The city's best chefs mixed cocktails that were just as impressive as their food. Tampa's food scene joined forces with pro athletes for a night of giving back.

In the kitchen, chefs worked to impress both the players and crowd. Their friendly competition added excitement to typical fundraising food.

Moving away from traditional charity events, this party offered a new take on fundraising. Cooking contests and activities created excitement around a good cause.

Football's connection to Tampa's food scene inspired the unique event. Each restaurant brought something special to the menu.

“This event was supposed to be in October,” Ryan said to ABC Action News. “We got hit with those back-to-back hurricanes, it was pretty devastating. It affected friends and family of ours. We felt like the right thing to do was to donate all the money we made from the event directly to hurricane relief. We donated about all of it; no, we are back to zero.”

After hurricane damage forced a date change from October 2024, organizers split the money between storm relief and animal care. When storms hit, the rescheduled event helped address two important needs. Smart planning turned a setback into a chance for bigger community support.