Celeb Chef Competes to Win a Million Bucks for Houston’s Southern Smoke Foundation

Celeb Chef Competes to Win a Million Bucks for Houston’s Southern Smoke Foundation

Southern Smoke has had a big year. The Covid crisis hit the restaurant industry in a previously unimaginable way — but the Houston-based foundation co-founded by Chris Shepherd has similarly reached unprecedented levels, having distributed thousands of emergency grants totaling more than $3 million to restaurant and hospitality workers who have been impacted by job loss.


What better way to end the year than with a million more bucks to hand out?! That's what's at stake this Sunday, Nov. 15, when celeb chef David Chang — founder of the famous Momofuku — competes on ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. This season of the show is hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and features celebrity contestants playing for charity.

"I'm so honored that Dave chose Southern Smoke as his charity," says Shepherd. "He's been so supportive of this organization for so long, and the visibility from the show will do so much to shine a light on the needs of our industry." Chang previously participated in Southern Smoke's annual fundraising festival in 2017, which garnered more than $500,000 in the weeks that followed the devastating Hurricane Harvey.

The Houston Southern Smoke team is hosting a socially distanced watch party at Hay Merchant on Sunday night. The show airs at 8pm.

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Alira Med Spa Owner, World Travel Blogger, Influencer, Philanthropist

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As a small business owner, I get to wear many hats. I became an Aesthetician to gain more knowledge about the services my business was going to provide, thinking that I will only focus on the administrative side of the business. Soon I became the business administrator and the lead Aesthetician. Currently, I am hands-on with our social media and marketing promotions, in addition to my regular facial clients. As time has passed, I realized I needed it to ramp up my services and technology to keep up with our competitors and now we offer a wide variety of Medical Spa services such as injectables and laser treatments. Visit aliramedspa.com to book an appointment today!

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I AM AN accomplished philanthropist, esteemed motivational speaker, renowned fitness expert, and host of an engaging podcast UNHINGED. Through my diversified endeavors, I have established several successful ventures, including TR Beauty and The Vault, a private community catering to like-minded people. Additionally, I am the founder of Houston Style Icons, a platform dedicated to honoring and acknowledging Houstonian style, and Fashion Woodlands, an annual fashion show that I have meticulously curated. Furthermore, I actively engage with my audience through my YouTube channel, providing valuable content and insights.

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