Tonight: BALLS! A Holiday Spectacular benefits Slow Food Denver and Eat Denver Serves Schools

And if you go to BALLS! tonight, your ticket benefits a good, food-centric cause: Slow Food Denver and EatDenver Serves Schools.

EatDenver Serves Schools is the philanthropy arm of EatDenver (formerly Denver Independent Network of Restaurants), the same collaborative organization that creates the EatDenver decks. Many of the members restaurants wanted to help out area schools -- and they wanted to do something bigger than just sending a chef to work with the lunch staff.

"This serves as a matchmaker between schools and restaurant professionals who want to get involved," says Leigh Jones, owner of Jonesy's and the Bar Car. "We wanted to use the star power of restaurants to help raise awareness."

That means anything from EatDenver restaurants helping with school gardens to Colorado Proud local-ingredient lunches to hosting happy hours for principals to facilitate the conversation on the importance of school breakfast.

EatDenver Serves Schools is working with Slow Food Denver on the project, and together they're continuing to find ways to raise awareness.

Tonight's BALLS! spectacular carries a suggested donation price tag of $15 to $35; the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on EatDenver Serves Schools, visit the organization's website.