Stockton celebrity chef to help feed Camp Fire victims

STOCKTON — Celebrity restaurateur Michael Midgley of Stockton headed up to the devastated community of Paradise on Wednesday in his new food truck, stocked with enough eats to feed 1,000 people.

“We were just watching the news like everybody else. We just got our new truck last week and just thought it was a great way to debut it and give something back to the community,” Midgley’s wife, Laci, said while her husband was still on the road.

The Midgleys were able to get donations for expenses from Lincoln Center, where their restaurant Midgley’s Public House is located, plus food from Sysco and Certified Angus Beef. From the window of his Midgley’s Public Truck, Chef Michael plans on serving cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chips and water to the people of Paradise, thousands of whom have lost everything in the massive Camp Fire.

“We know that time is of the essence, so even though we just got the truck we felt we had to help out now,” Laci Midgley said.

The Camp Fire, approximately 145 miles north of Stockton, has incinerated the entire small town of Paradise, reducing homes to rubble and ash. The fire has destroyed more than 8,700 homes and more than 15,500 remain threatened, making it the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in California history.

And within 24 hours Wednesday afternoon, Stockton’s newest sports franchise, the Stockton Kings, raised $5,000 for the fire relief effort. On Tuesday, the entire Kings organization, including Sacramento and Stockton staff, dedicated their day to calling Kings fans to raise funds for the American Red Cross to help the communities impacted by the fires across California.

That effort resulted in the Kings, their fans and their partners donating $75,000.

At 1 p.m. Thursday at Stockton City Hall, Mayor Michael Tubbs will lead a news conference to announce other local efforts to assist fire victims.

By Joe Goldeen
Record Staff Writer
Original Story: https://www.recordnet.com/news/20181114/stockton-celebrity-chef-to-help-feed-camp-fire-victims

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