Fundraising

It's about 4:00 in morning and I am driving north out of Virginia up to New Jersey. I spent the last weekend at the Greenbrier Hotel, my old stomping grounds, where I once served as Executive Chef. The Greenbrier is a grand old place located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It is undergoing an extensive $50 million renovation that promises to freshen up the physical plant and give the resort a more contemporary feel.

The event at the Greenbrier included doing a cooking demo and talk for about a hundred guests for the 22nd Annual Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center Gala. This is the biggest annual fundraiser that the West Virginia University Cancer Center puts on. Their goal is to become a comprehensive cancer center which will put them on the map as a National Cancer Institute. The WVU School of Medicine is planning to expand the existing center so they can increase the size of the patient clinic areas and the research/lab facilities for the doctors.

The Gala is a black tie fundraiser that included dinner and dancing to a band called the Benny Benack Swing Band. The staff at the Greenbrier put together a few renditions of my cuisine at the White House. Quite honestly, it was not the best interpretation of my food that I've seen, but they did do a pretty good job, all things considered. Regardless, it was simply great to see and visit with some terrific people.

If you have never heard of the Greenbrier, you can check out their
website. They host a variety of culinary events for the public and will host the 2007 Symposium for Professional Food Writers.