Vancouver’s restaurant community is banding together to support a local chef recently diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Mise en Place for Chef Tina, a fundraiser for Tina Fineza, takes place October 19 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts’ Bistro 101 (1501 West 2^nd Avenue).

Fineza, who has worked in some of the city’s top kitchens and co-owns Service Excellence Hospitality Consultants, was diagnosed with stage-three bilateral breast cancer in June.

She recently was part of a team of top chefs hired by Earls Kitchen + Bar for their “chef collective”. Members of the collective—David Wong, Dawn Doucette, and Hamid Salimian—will be among the 20 chefs included in Mise en Place.

Other participants include Bruno Feldeisen from the Four Seasons Hotel, David Robertson from the Dirty Apron Cooking School, Neil Taylor and Ed Perrow from España and The Fat Badger, Eleanor Chow and Slavita Johnson from Cadeaux Bakery, Frank Pabst from Blue Water Café + Raw Bar, Jason Apple and Jory Simkin from the Roaming Dragon food truck, Jennifer Peters of NextJen Gluten Free Flour, Marcelo Ramirez from La Taqueria, Margaret Chisholm of Culinary Capers Catering, Mary Mackay from Terra Breads, Merri Schwartz of East Van Roasters and Growing Chefs, and Taryn Wa of Savoury Chef Foods.

Several chefs from out of town will also be participating in the fundraiser: Michael Noble from NOtaBLE in Calgary, Jesse Grasso from The Black Hoof in Toronto, and Christophe Langlois from Artisan Eats Café & Fine Food on Bowen Island.

Mise en Place will raise funds to cover Fineza’s ongoing cancer treatments and her year-long leave of absence from work.

Included in the $74 ticket price are canapés, small plates, and desserts created by each of the chefs. A cash bar will be by donation. Guests will also have a chance to enter a raffle and silent auction, the proceeds of which will go towards supporting Fineza’s recovery.

Fineza began her culinary career at the now-closed Lumière restaurant in Vancouver. She cooked at Diva at the Met, Bin 942, and the Flying Tiger before launching her restaurant consulting business, Service Excellence Hospitality Consultants, with front-of-house expert Annette Rawlinson in 2008. Together, they have helped local restaurants—including East of Main, Boca, Commune Café, La Mezcaleria, La Taqueria, and Les Faux Bourgeois—create or change menu items and train staff.

Tickets to Mise en Place for Tina can be purchased online. A separate website accepting donations has also been launched. The B.C. Hospitality Foundation, which provides financial support to people working in the hospitality industry, has offered to match up to $5,000 in funds raised.