Celebrity Chef Travels to his Alma Mater, Students Reap Benefits of Visit
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — November 10, 2003 — Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse brought his signature “Bam!” with him when he returned to his alma mater, Johnson & Wales University, on September 28-29 for the inaugural Emeril Lagasse Golf Classic to benefit his endowed scholarship fund at the University. Net proceeds from the event are expected to approach $250,000.
“The money we have raised this year and will continue to raise in the years ahead, will enable financially-challenged students to build a solid foundation in life,” said Emeril Lagasse, a 1978 graduate of Johnson & Wales. “All of us associated with the golf classic want to make a significant contribution to the hospitality industry and this event clearly achieves that goal.”
The festivities began on Sunday, September 28, with a dinner in Seekonk, Mass., at the Johnson & Wales Inn, followed by the golf classic on Monday, September 29, at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) – Boston.
“This has been a wonderful event, and we are pleased to have Emeril back at Johnson & Wales,” said John J. Bowen, president of the Providence Campus. “It is our job as educators to give these students a platform to pursue great careers. This fund will help many future culinary professionals to reach for their dreams.”
“PepsiCo and all the golf classic sponsors are committed to encouraging and nurturing the careers of the next generation of leaders and foodservice professionals,” said Steve Caldeira, vice president of industry relations for PepsiCo Foodservice and chairman of the golf classic. “We are especially pleased and honored to join Emeril and the Founding Golf Classic Partners (Johnson & Wales University, Emeril’s Homebase, Nation’s Restaurant News and TPC - Boston) in kicking-off this exciting inaugural event.”
In 2001, “The Emeril Lagasse Scholarship Fund at Johnson & Wales University” was established by the Scripps Howard Foundation and Johnson & Wales to celebrate Emeril’s 1,000th program for the Food Network.
One student whose dream is becoming a reality thanks to the Emeril Golf Classic is Danielle Signore. A junior majoring in Culinary Arts, Signore was a 2003 recipient of the $10,000 scholarship and had just returned to school after a four month co-op at Emeril’s New Orleans Restaurant, Nola.
“This opportunity has been amazing,” said Signore, a native of Dover, Mass. “It’s been a wonderful experience for me. To think that people truly care about the next generation has been very gratifying, overwhelming and awe-inspiring.”
Led by PepsiCo, more than 50 companies sponsored the event and more than 100 golfers participated.
At the end of the day, both Emeril and Caldeira were clear that next year’s event would be even more successful when they plan to kick it up a notch. “You better believe it,” Emeril said.
Johnson & Wales — America’s Career University® — was founded in 1914. It is a private, non-profit, accredited institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, food service, hospitality and technology. With an enrollment of more than 15,000 students, Johnson & Wales is based in Providence, R.I., and maintains campuses in Charleston, S.C., Norfolk, Va., North Miami, Fla., Denver, Colo., and Göteborg, Sweden, with plans to open a new campus in Charlotte, N.C. in 2004. For more information about Johnson & Wales University, visit www.jwu.edu.
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