Food Network's Lisa Lillien, 'Glee' Exec to Be Honored at Project Angel Food's 'Angel Awards'

August isn’t usually prime time for fundraisers, but Project Angel Food has been doing pretty well having its annual "Angel Awards" in late summer for the last 16 years.

This year it’s on Saturday, Aug. 20 in Hollywood. The concept is for 400 guests to drink and dine al fresco in the organization’s parking lot (August is good for warm nights) while awards are given to the Food Network’s Lisa Lillien and Glee executive producer Dante Di Loreto. The finalists from Oxygen’s The Glee Project will perform. DreamWork’s Chip Sullivan and the Center Theatre Group’s Edward Rada are among the co-chairs.

It’s expected that the night will pay for 70,000 meals (the average cost for Project Angel Food to produce is $5) that are home-delivered to 1,300 clients with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses in Los Angeles.

Asked about the event by The Hollywood Reporter, Project Angel Food CEO Margaret Steele had this to say:

The Hollywood Reporter: What makes this different from other fundraising dinners?
Margaret Steele: What’s powerful about this night is it’s at our kitchen so the directness to our work is so visible on both a physical and emotional level. You’re at a kitchen that cooks meals for the seriously ill.

THR: You’re serving the same type of meal a client would receive?
Steele:Truthfully, we’re probably adding a little more salt than we’d normally have for our clients.

THR: Do you have a personal Project Angel Food favorite?
Steele: I love the Moroccan chicken.

THR: And will you be serving this Saturday?
Steele: We’re serving chicken with orzo and fresh vegetables.

THR: Do you ever get requests for a menu change from the clients?
Steele: Sometimes they say, “I want a piece of chocolate cake.” We tell them, “We’re not those people in your life.”