A select audience among us continues to be bombarded with comical e-mail messages from eager contenders in next weekend's major community cook-off among notables vying for the title of Top Celebrity Chef to benefit the Merlin & Carolyn Hanson Hospice Center in St. Joseph. With each entry on the e-mail trail the image you see above pops into my head over these crazy merry-makers in search of donor dollars. For creativity of messaging alone, the champion in my book is already Jeff Noel from Whirlpool Corporation.
Noel is teamed up with Grand Mere Inn Executive Chef & Owner Charley Racine in the Taste Sensation Culinary Cook-Off competition fundraiser for the Hanson Hospice Center which is a program of Caring Circle, a Lakeland Health Affiliate.
As Corporate Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs and an incredible command of the King's English, Mr. Noel likely has a decided leg-up in the e-mail pitch sheet portion of the competition, but he — like all others — will have to put his actual culinary skills to the test if he wants to emerge the victor in this high stakes game.
Noel & Racine comprise Team 1 out of three local celebrity and chef teams that will battle in this unique cooking competition at the LakeHouse Restaurant & Bar next Friday evening. They are up against Team 2, comprised of St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey who is also President of Garey Roofing Company and Chef Don Smith from Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant, and Team 3 anchored by United Way of SW Michigan President & CEO Anna Murphy and her chef, Cheyenne Galbraith, the Executive Chef at Bistro on the Boulevard.
All three teams are working hard for this fundraiser which kicks off with cocktails and dinner from 5:30 to 7:45pm next Friday night, followed by Culinary Team introductions and the announcement of Charitable Champion winner. From 8:15 to 8:45 the cook-off itself takes place in the Program Tent on the front lawn of the LakeHouse at 3029 Lakeshore Drive in St. Joseph. That will be followed by a Live Auction, and a video topped off with a Fund-a-Need Auction. The night wraps up with formal presentations to the Culinary Champs of the affair.
There will be great food, great friends and fun for a great cause with the benefit going to the Hanson Hospice Center. The inaugural version of this event was conducted last year with more than 200 guests in attendance and more than $50,000 raised by the Lakeland Health Foundations.
If you are interested in attending the event, and would like to see if there's still room for you, call 269-429-7100.
