For this year’s 50 Men Who Cook fundraiser, Batavia Police Officer Emil Jensen is cooking up chipotle porter-braised beef enchiladas, and fellow Officer Brian Nallenweg will be making Mexican street corn.
The two will be sharing a table on Saturday to raise money for Batavia-based Suicide Prevention Services.
Cooking for 250 people can be a little bit intimidating, Jensen said. He has participated in the event since it began and said he is determined to “give back and promote awareness of suicide prevention.”
Jensen said two area police officers committed suicide shortly before the event began.
“Our profession in general has a high rate of suicide, but to lose two in that short of a time frame was pretty devastating,” he said.
To honor the officers, Jensen and Nallenweg’s table will include photos of the two officers who passed away.
Suicide Prevention Services founder and executive director Stephanie Weber said many of the cooks at the event, which includes both men and women, have been touched by suicide in some way.
Jensen, who always enjoyed cooking alongside his mother and grandmother, began cooking for himself in junior high, when he was encouraged by his mother to learn how to cook because she couldn’t keep up with the amount of food he was consuming.
A former member of the military, Jensen said he cooked for his fellow sailors in the Navy – mostly grilling.
Jensen said military personnel also have a high rate of suicide — even higher than police officers.
Although Jensen claims he could never be on a television cooking show, he has picked up a few awards for his cooking over the years. He also has developed friendships with the fellow cooks who attend the annual event due to a shared interest in cooking.
Weber said while people may be cooking in honor of individuals who have been lost to suicide, there is an element of laughter along with the food and music at the event.
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Providing a wide range of services for those dealing with suicide including counseling, depression screening, a hotline for crisis calls, and support groups, Weber said it is difficult to put a number on the people her organization helps each year.
For example, she said her organization gives presentations at area schools to help staff identify the warning signs of suicidal behavior as well as intervention and referral techniques.
With a mission to open minds, save lives, and restore hope through prevention and intervention, Weber said, “We are a small organization, but we have a large reach.”
50 Men Who Cook
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Road, Aurora
How much: Tickets $50 in advance and $60 at the door
Order tickets or sign up to cook: 630-482-9699 or www.50menwhocook.com