Toronto restaurant launches new event series for a meaningful cause
A Toronto restaurant is launching a unique new event series this weekend, and it's all to raise funds for a deeply meaningful cause.
Casa Portuguesa in the Castlefield Design District may be best known for its Portuguese hot table, brimming with staples like fresh-grilled piri piri chicken and roasted fish, but this month, the team behind the restaurant is taking the spotlight off the food and onto a cause close to their hearts.
Lucas is an Ontario child struggling with a rare genetic disorder that severely limits his mobility. So rare is his condition, in fact, that there's virtually no information about how it progresses or whether it can be cured.
"Every parent dreams of watching their child grow into independence — taking their first steps, running freely, climbing stairs, speaking with confidence, choosing their own path," Lucas' mother, Sophia Azevedo, writes in a GoFundMe created to foot the sizeable medical and research bill to help her son.
"For Lucas, much of that future is still unknown."
In the description of the fundraiser titled Let's Cure Lucas, Azevedo explains that gene therapy may be the only way that Lucas can grow his ability to walk, to hold everyday items and to speak clearly, but for him to receive treatment, said treatment needs to be developed first.
The estimated cost? According to Azevedo, it's somewhere around $1.7 million: the fundraiser's goal amount.
To date, the fundraiser has already hit its first milestone of $350,000, but the team at Casa Portuguesa is doing its part to help the Azevedo family get even closer to the finish line and help Lucas.
In an effort to raise funds for Let's Cure Lucas, the team at Casa Portuguesa will host a series of intimate seated dinners — just 40 seats per night — with live Fado music. All proceeds will then be donated to the fundraiser.
"Remember that, together, we can make the difference," Casa Portuguesa owner Miguel Marques says in a video announcing the dinners.
Casa Portuguesa's Fado nights kick off this Sunday, April 12, and will also run April 19, May 3 and May 17. Reservations can be made by calling or DMing the restaurant on Instagram.
If you want to make a donation, but can't make it to any of the events, you can also purchase a $40 No-Show ticket, the proceeds of which will be donated to Let's Cure Lucas.
Casa Portuguesa is located at 180 Bentworth Ave.
Fareen Karim
