Jane Lynch & Giada De Laurentiis to Be Honored at 2013 Angel Awards Today

Project Angel Food will honor a slew of celebrities at tonight's Angel Awards in Hollywood. Guests at this year's gathering will be treated to a special appearance by the organization's founder, MariAnne Williamson, as she presents award-winning actress Jane Lynch with the appropriately named MariAnne Williamson Founder Award. The evening's other honoree, celebrity chef and Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis, will receive the organization's inaugural Iconic Chef Award from actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Howard knows firsthand just how extraordinary De Laurentiis is in the kitchen as one of De Laurentiis' first jobs after cooking school was working as the Howard family's personal chef.

On behalf of the Los Angeles City Council, Councilmember Tom LaBonge will be on hand to present each honoree with a special proclamation saluting their individual achievements. Angel Awards traditionally honor corporate and community leaders, whose support of Project Angel Food and its mission to feed men, women and children affected by life-threatening illnesses, has been significant; Angel Awards also serve as a platform to recognize individuals who have contributed to the greater good of our community on behalf of our neighbors in need.

The al fresco event, held in Project Angel Food's "backyard" (at 922 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90038), will begin at 6:00PM with cocktails and a silent auction set to the musical stylings of The Harvard Yardbirds, Harvard's acclaimed alumni a cappella group. Dinner featuring produce from the Project Angel Food community gardens will follow at 7:30PM, having been expertly prepared in the organization's own kitchen. The evening will round out with the awards presentation and the always popular live auction which will be conducted by recent Emmy-nominee Dan Bucatinsky from ABC's "Scandal" and Project Angel Food's newly appointed CEO Laurie Lang.

Money raised from the event will fund the cooking and delivery of life-sustaining meals for men, women and children struggling with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life threatening illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. Thanks to devoted volunteers, who work under the guidance of professional staff, Project Angel Food provides 600,000 meals a year to those in need.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride