Emily Ellyn will, it appears, be spending a lot of time in Plant City.
The Food Network star, known for her appearances on shows like Cutthroat Kitchen and Cupcake Wars, brought her unique and vibrant style to Trinkle Center for the United Food Bank of Plant City's celebrity chef dinner, raising money for the organization.
The United Food Bank of Plant City offers food and services to those who might not have access to nutritional food based on monetary necessity.
Throughout the evening, many items, including a painting of Ellyn, were available for purchase through a silent auction. At the end of the evening, a live auction was held for a chance to have Ellyn go to your home and cook a dinner for 12. Rather, that's how it was supposed to go.
Ellyn took it upon herself to run the auction, heading into the crowd and darting between tables, selling the dinner for $4,000.
Then it got even more interesting. The fanfare was so rapturous, she decided to offer another dinner for 12 at $4,000. It was quickly sold. The crowd, still frenzied with enthusiasm for the host's generosity, was even more surprised when Ellyn again offered another dinner to anyone who could match. And match they did.
"Let's get people fed." Ellyn said of her impromptu offers. "Then, I'll teach you how to cook. It's for the children. We will get them fed."
The fundraiser yielded $98,000 for the United Food Bank of Plant City.