Matt Damon back in Boston as sous chef for cancer nonprofit fundraising event

Hometown favorite Matt Damon was back in Boston Monday supporting a cause that’s near and dear to his family.

Damon once again served as volunteer sous chef for Iron Chef Ming Tsai at the Boston Harbor Hotel for Cooking Live Boston sponsored by Bank of America.

The recurring event raises money for Family Reach, a national nonprofit that helps families across the country with the financial burden of cancer.

“This is happening to 1 out of 3 families in this country,” said the nonprofit’s CEO Carla Tardif. “This isn’t just an inconvenience. This is life or death.”

She continued, “The goal is so patients don’t have to choose, ‘Do I get chemotherapy, or do i pay my rent? Do I put gas in the car to get to treatment, or do I put food on the table for our family?’”

Damon cooked in front of a crowd with Tsai Monday night.

The cause hits close to home for Damon. His father battled cancer and passed away in 2017.

“I can’t imagine the level of fear and trauma that kind of accompanies that journey,” he said Monday.

The event hopes to raise roughly $1.5 million for families across the country.

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