Chef Lagasse will visit GLOW campus to unveil sign bearing Foundation’s name on February 9, 11:00 AM
Tickets still available for Breakfast with Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray, Feb 10
Wilmington, NC – January 25, 2023 -- The Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, GLOW Academy, $500 thousand to support the school’s culinary classroom and curriculum. The gift officially names GLOW’s expansive teaching kitchen the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Culinary Lab and will cover the costs of culinary faculty, food costs and operations for three years. GLOW’s culinary lab is built as a commercial kitchen, allowing students to learn essential culinary skills, kitchen management, menu planning and food preparation. Chef Lagasse will visit the campus on February 9 at 11:00 AM to unveil a new sign bearing the Foundation’s name.
On February 10th, he, together with Rachael Ray, will appear at the annual GLOW Chef Event, featuring the two celebrities. Tickets for breakfast are $250 and include a champagne breakfast and theater style seating for the culinary demonstration, fireside chat and Q & A with Chefs Lagasse, Ray and the students.
“Alden (Chef Lagasse’s wife) and I are so excited for our foundation to invest in the culinary lab at GLOW and to support the vision of our longtime friend Judy Girard,” said Chef Lagasse. The gift reflects Chef Lagasse’s continued engagement with the school and his devotion to Ms. Girard, GLOW Academy founder and president of the Food Network from 1994 to 2004. Earlier this year the Emeril Lagasse Foundation gave $40,000 to GLOW for transitioning a middle school classroom into one that supports an introduction to GLOW’s robust culinary program.
Chef Lagasse was the first celebrity chef to host what have become well-established fundraisers for GLOW, each featuring a Food Network star.
"There is so much need to reach kids outside of the traditional classroom. When young people learn to prepare meals for themselves and their families, they gain independence and self-confidence --important skills no matter what they do in life,” said Brian Kish, president of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.
Todd Godbey, president and CEO of Beacon Education, GLOW’s supporting foundation added, “Like so many things related to GLOW, our culinary program grew organically in a way that we never planned. Emeril’s generosity and involvement in our first major fundraiser set the tone for a what has become a signature program on campus and in the community. We are humbled by his support and legacy.”
About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation's mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $18.5 million to children's charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides program and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, the newest program, will provide culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY: The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. The school opened in August 2016, with its inaugural sixth grade class, adding a new sixth grade each successive academic year. With a focus on providing a single-sex educational choice for students from predominately underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 21 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life. For more information about GLOW Academy, visit www.glowacademy.net or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlowAcademy1/