community Service

This year’s Fourth Annual Culinary Challenge, hosted at the home of Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly, raised over $16,000 to benefit women’s charities—including  Alternatives for Girls, Crossroads for Youth, and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation. The event, which includes a competition for best judicial chef and a live grill-off, is hosted by a different judge each year.

The grill-off consists of a competition between the bench (Grilled by the Bench)  and the Bar ( Grilled by the Hour), where the lawyers once again remain undefeated. Judges, magistrates and referees competed for the title of "Best Judicial Chef" in two categories: appetizers and desserts. The Judicial Chef winners were Lorraine Weber for her crab stuffed artichoke hearts and Colleen O’Brien for her raspberry bars.

The Challenge has donated over $25,000 over the past four years to local charities. The Culinary Challenge is planned and staffed by an ad hoc group of lawyers and judges, with lots of additional help from numerous law students, friends and family members.

—Michelle Erskine

Chefs and Committee, left to right:  Marcia Ross, Laura Eisenberg, Hon. Colleen O'Brien, Jennifer Grieco, Carol Breitmeyer, Valerie Newman, Margaret Tobin, ret. Hon. Antonio Viviano, Ref. Evanne Dietz, Hon. Kathy Viviano, Hon. Cheryl Matthews, Kathy Rogers, Hon. Lisa Asadoorian, Amy Yu, Nancy Glen, Denise Alexander, Julia Perkins, Hon. Diane Hathaway, Anne Cole-Pierce, Hon. Kirsten Frank Kelly, Lavinia Biasell.

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Judges Lisa Asadoorian and Cheryl Matthews.

Judges Lisa Asadoorian and Kathy Viviano