THE ORGANIZATION: Robert Irvine Foundation THE STORY: The military bloodlines of celebrity chef Robert Irvine run deep, beginning back when he served in the culinary unit of the British Royal Navy for ten years. Irvine has always maintained a connection with active duty and retired military personnel, both here and in his native England. “A lot of the things he does, his whole purpose, is to give back to the troops and support the military,” says Dan McLean, director of marketing for Robert Irvine. As his public profile has grown—as the host of the popular Food Network program “Restaurant Impossible” and celebrity chef know around the globe—Irvine has given back to the military, making it as much a part of his identity as anything else. This past year, Irvine and his team launched a new nonprofit organization, the Robert Irvine Foundation, as “the centerpiece” for his philanthropic efforts. He has consistently donated to deserving organizations that support the military, but as McLean explains, the foundation is now the place where that money can be pooled, organizations can be researched and donations can be made. “The goal for the board of directors is to have one director representing each of the services, so we can make sure all of the military branches are recognized,” McLean says of the Tampa-based foundation. “The qualifications we’re looking for are organizations that are trying to improve quality of life for our troops and their families, on the home front or overseas.” It’s a broad mission, “to support individuals and organizations committed to enriching the lives of our military personnel,” as the website states, but the foundation looks at it as a way to donate to any organization they deem deserving. “Robert’s premise [has always been] that balance between enjoying quality food and living a healthy lifestyle,” says McLean. “We want to support organizations that believe in that, but it goes bigger than that.” For years, Irvine has worked closely with the Gary Sinise Foundation, which organizes a lot of entertainment for the troops, and the USO. (He was in Japan with the USO at the beginning of the year.) McLean says the Robert Irvine Foundation will continue to support those organizations and other similar nonprofits. In April, Irvine will take part in the two-day food festival, “Savor— A Celebration of Wine, Food & Spirits” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. A portion of the proceeds from that event will be donated to the Robert Irvine Foundation, kicking off its fundraising in a major way. The Savor event will take place on April 10 and 11. Organizations that are interested in receiving money from the foundation can apply online. This coming October, a year after the foundation received its 501c3 designation, the board of directors will review all applications and make donations. For more on the Robert Irvine Foundation, visit robertirvinefoundation.org. Visit savorct.com for more information on the April event. If you have an organization with an event that you’d like us to consider for the Community page, please send the details to khartman@connecticutmag.com