For over a decade, Matthew has been setting the table, pouring the wine, and rallying his friends around a cause that’s deeply personal to him.
But for Matthew, what started as an opportunity to get together —and a good excuse for a dinner party— became even more personal when he lost a close friend to cancer six years ago.
Over the years, Matthew’s Longest Table events have become legendary among his friends. From a festive Christmas in July to a French-themed soirée—which took a hilarious twist when an actual Parisian showed up and put his French cooking to the test—his dinners are always a mix of fun, laughter, and generosity. “We’d normally go out and spend $150-200 at a fancy restaurant, so instead, I cook, everyone brings the wine, and we put the rest into a donation. It’s such an easy way to do some good.”
The formula for his events is simple: he cooks, his guests bring the wine, and instead of spending $150-200 at a restaurant, they donate that money to cancer research. And the impact? It’s real.
“One of my mates who joins us every year was diagnosed with colon cancer early, and today he’s doing great. His dad? Same story. “That's the kind of impact this research is having!”
For anyone thinking about their first Longest Table, Matthew has one piece of advice: don’t overthink it.
“At the end of the day, it’s the same as hosting a dinner party—it's just for a great cause. It's a very good reason to get your friends together,” Matthew says.
“You always want everything to go well, but at the end of the day people are there to raise money for cancer, and that’s the part that counts.”
Whether you go all out with a crazy theme or keep it low-key with a backyard BBQ, every dollar raised helps fund research that could one day save a life.
