Celebrities will don aprons for Aiken's Cookin'

Some of Aiken's finest will be among the celebrity chefs at Friday's benefit for the Mental Health Association in Aiken County.

Aiken County Sheriff Mike Hunt and his deputies, along with Aiken Department of Public Safety Capt. Wendell Hall and his officers, are among the 24 teams scheduled to cook a variety of dishes at Aiken's Cookin' with Celebrity Chefs.

Chefs come from across the area, said Roshawn Hinton, the association's administrative services coordinator.

Chefs represent Aiken "attorney offices, housing authority, county board of disabilities," she said.

The teams are preparing a variety of dishes from appetizers to desserts for the seventh annual event, which raised about $10,000 last year for the association's programs.

"This is our major fundraiser for the year," said Liz Neal, the event chairwoman. "It's very important."

Patrons will be able to sample the dishes and vote on their favorite entries.

A cookbook containing all of the recipes from the night will be available. There also will be a silent auction.

The fundraiser will benefit programs such as Nurture Home, which serves homeless mothers and their children, and the Welcome Baby program, which provides gift baskets and information about mental health issues to new mothers.

Reach Charmain Z. Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.