Celebrity chefs from prized Sydney restaurants Aqua Dining, Nick's Seafood, Garfish and Coast will be cooking-off in Martin Place from 12:30pm, auctioning four unique, gourmet meals to the highest bidders.
Peter Doyles @ The Quay will be in Martin place until 2pm preparing fish and rice meals for 1000 Sydneyites. By donating the same dollar value as the cost of a typical lunch, diners will stand in solidarity with the millions of people who survive on a staple diet of fish and rice, and support Caritas Australia's long-term development projects in 32 countries.
Fish Friday is running in conjunction with Caritas Australia's Project Compassion campaign launched nationally today. Project Compassion is the largest aid and humanitarian fundraising effort in Australia with money raised supporting Caritas Australia's work to empower impoverished communities to a build better future for themselves.
With the theme 'Blueprint for a better world', this year's Project Compassion focuses on The Millennium Development Goals, an eight step global action plan for halving world poverty by 2015.
Caritas CEO Jack de Groot said, "Fish Friday is a unique opportunity for Sydney residents to make a genuine contribution to the development goals of our nation and the international community.
"We're not asking a great deal of people. Leave your lunch at home on Friday and come down to Martin Place to share in a delicious lunch, be entertained by our celebrity chef cook-off, and learn how Caritas Australia is working to tackle poverty amongst the poorest communities in the world.
"With the support of those fortunate enough to live free from conflict, injustice and poverty, Caritas Australia can continue its work with local partners, addressing issues such as health, education, gender equality, water and sustainable agriculture, priorities which are set out in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
"We hope this year's Fish Friday event and Project Compassion will strengthen Australia's capacity to engage with communities affected by abject poverty and will build the support necessary to realise the eight Millennium Development Goals both within Australia and globally."