Tickets now are on sale for the Fifth Annual Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s ocean-focused dinner, A Fishy Affair. Six of Savannah’s most innovative chefs will prepare their best small bites at this unique dining event at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 27, in Plantation’s Ballroom. A Fishy Affair is a sellout every year. Foodies, ocean lovers, and anyone who enjoys a good meal and a fun evening will revel in this unique culinary tour of Savannah’s finest restaurants with their master chefs on stage. Tickets are $100 per person ($1,000 for a table of 10).

The six chefs are from:

• Culinary Institute of Savannah – Executive Chef Jean-Yves Vendeville and Culinary Arts Instructor Gearry Caudell
• HUSK Savannah – Executive Chef Chris Hathcock
• Landings Club – Executive Chef Sam Brod and Sushi Chef Jin Kang
• Noble Fare – Executive Chef Patrick McNamara

A Fishy Affair guests will enjoy a full-course buffet dinner that includes a variety of meats, side dishes, and desserts; live and silent auctions jam-packed with exciting items; full cash bars; and a live lionfish viewing provided by UGA MAREX, also known as Skidaway Aquarium.

Tickets are on sale now at http://bit.ly/2019AFA. A portion of the ticket fee is tax-deductible as a donation to Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

To date, sponsors of A Fishy Affair include:

• Chatham Orthopedics
• Zulu Marine
• Mrs. (Kathy) Robert O. Levitt
• Dan Bromstad & Eleanor Rhangos
• Cathy J. Sakas
• Suzie Williams

A Fishy Affair focuses on lionfish, a species native to the tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Ocean Basins. Lionfish are popular in household aquariums and began invading ecosystems throughout the Atlantic coast and the Caribbean in the 1980s. They damage the ocean by eating many young fish per day, such as snapper and grouper.

“Lionfish are threatening our ocean and our local underwater treasure, Gray’s Reef,” said Cathy J. Sakas, Foundation Chair. “Our guest chefs are doing their part to raise awareness of these invasive species because they also happen to be a very tasty fish. A Fishy Affair is actually fostering a demand for lionfish, and we reason that if more people demand them, the laws of supply and demand will take over. We hope to create such a demand that supplies of lionfish will become non-existent!”

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation supports ocean conservation, education, and the important research and exploration conducted at Georgia’s own Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The Foundation offers sponsorship opportunities for A Fishy Affair, and all proceeds from the evening benefit the Foundation and, therefore, the work of the Sanctuary.

For tickets, more information, and/or sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://bit.ly/2019AFA or call 912-660-7164.