For more than a decade, Chef Sara Polczynski and Chef Vaughn Vargus have dedicated countless hours — and nine months out of the year — to meticulously planning the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s most important annual fundraiser.
What began as a way to give back has become, in Chef Sara’s words, something that “gives me purpose,” and for Chef Vaughn is “one of the most rewarding events I do all year.”
Together, they have helped shape the annual San Diego Food Bank Gala into a signature San Diego event, where thoughtfully crafted dishes create an elevated culinary experience, grounded in their deeply personal commitment to the San Diego Food Bank’s mission to ensure families and children across San Diego have reliable access to nutritious meals.
A San Diego native, Chef Sara says she has always tried to shape her career around “what I wanted to see my world like,” balancing her professional work with raising her child. So, she diversified her career across restaurants, consulting, catering, and classrooms. Now a longtime instructor at the San Diego College of Continuing Education, she trains the next generation of culinary professionals while continuing to consult and cater on the side.
Chef Vaughn, also a San Diego native, grew up in the food industry, starting in restaurants as a teenager. He says he was fortunate to learn under chefs in local kitchens who helped him grow early in his career, before he went on to expand into large-scale hospitality and food service operations, where he developed the skills to lead multiple operations with diverse menus. Now Senior Executive Chef for UC San Diego’s dining division, he oversees culinary operations, serving 40,000 students with the help of 900 culinary employees across 16 kitchens and multiple rolling menus.
Despite their different paths, both chefs share a common thread: they are educators at heart who want to make a purpose-driven contribution to their community. That purpose is reflected in their longstanding involvement with organizations like Kitchens for Good and the San Diego Food Bank.
“It’s my forte, so I’ve always felt more comfortable contributing the knowledge and the skills that I have through food with organizations that need attention in our local community,” Chef Sara says.
Although Chef Vaughn says his work at UCSD is extremely rewarding, he still wants to give back to his community.
“Anytime I’m able to stay relevant, stay connected, and stay grounded in our community of San Diego, never forgetting where we came from, and do something that matters this much for us, I’ll always find time to do it,” he says.
Chefs Sara and Vaughn have been involved in planning the San Diego Food Bank Gala almost since its inception — and their connection to its mission is deeply personal.
All proceeds from the gala benefit the organization’s hunger-relief efforts. But for both chefs, what makes the fundraising especially meaningful is the programs it directly supports, such as the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, which provides weekend bags of food to up to 3,700 elementary students across more than 90 schools in San Diego County.
“It’s literally helping the elementary school that’s in my backyard,” Chef Vaughn says. “The number of elementary schools this program supports is huge, but just being able to give back to the city and the community that supported us all these years is rewarding. It’s our home.”
Held each year at the San Diego Food Bank’s 90,000-square-foot warehouse in Miramar, the gala gives guests a rare glimpse into the very spaces where food is received, sorted, and distributed to tens of thousands of San Diegans each month. It’s a one-of-a-kind evening of generosity, where guests enjoy live music, a gourmet multi-course dinner, and an exciting lineup of auction items, all while surrounded by the mission in action.
Chef Sara Polczynski and Chef Vaughn Vargus at the 13th Annual San Diego Food Bank Gala in 2025. Photo courtesy of Chef Works.
For years, Chefs Sara and Vaughn organized a multi-course dinner with the help of about 30 local chefs. But over time, they reimagined the event into a more dynamic format to adapt to industry shifts and maximize their reach.
“We made the star of the show the cocktail hour, featuring our local chefs,” Chef Sara says.
Now, a caterer handles dinner, while the highlight of the evening is an interactive cocktail hour, where guests enjoy signature small bites prepared by some of San Diego’s most acclaimed chefs, allowing them to connect directly with guests and showcase their creativity in a more personal way.
“I think we’ve been a really great team,” Chef Sara says. “We really come together, and we kind of cover all the bases.”
But make no mistake, planning the gala is no small feat. What guests experience as a seamless, elegant evening is the result of nearly a year of planning, coordination, and problem solving.
“This is our main fundraiser of the year, and it really does take about nine months to plan,” Chef Sara explains. “So we have the summer off, and then we start again every year.”
Behind the scenes, Chefs Sara and Vaughn act as “orchestrators,” recruiting local chefs, securing vendor support, coordinating culinary volunteers, and working closely with the event planning team to ensure every detail aligns. Chef Vaughn focuses heavily on building partnerships with vendors who donate food and supplies, while Chef Sara leads chef engagement and culinary execution.
That collaboration has helped refine the event into what Chef Vaughn describes as more “systematic” and efficient, supported by a growing network of partners also committed to the cause.
“Some of the local vendors in San Diego support this on a regular basis — they’ve been doing it for years,” Chef Vaughn says. “It’s not just about being part of this one event. It’s a bigger desire and bigger commitment to vendors in San Diego that are in it for the same reason, that we are to support the community.”
Now entering its 14th year, the San Diego Food Bank Gala has grown into a powerful fundraising engine. Last year alone, the event welcomed more than 300 guests and raised a record-breaking $1.25 million to support hunger-relief programs across the region.
But beyond the elegant evening, the gala’s true impact is felt by the families and children across San Diego who rely on the San Diego Food Bank.
“This is our main fundraising event, but the Food Bank does so much throughout the year,” Chef Sara says. “This is just the little part that I feel like I can take part in.”
That sense of purpose is what fuels their continued commitment — year after year, event after event.
“I need to feel like I’m making some sort of a difference,” Chef Sara says.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” Chef Vaughn adds. “It’s enjoyable to see and know that we make a difference. It hits everybody to the core. So, why would you not want to be a part of this? Everybody we work with says it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
And through the gala, they are doing just that — transforming a single evening into lasting impact for thousands across San Diego.