There’s a scholarship throwdown making its way to Casino Del Sol.
Chef Jeff Henderson of Food Network’s “The Chef Jeff Project” is headed to AVA Amphitheater on Thursday, May 5.
The Hospitality Leadership program at the Pima Foundation is spearheading the scholarship fundraising event hosting the award-winning chef, bestselling author, and inspirational public speaker for a cooking competition from 5 – 9 p.m.
What’s goin’ down at the competition
Chef Jeff is bringing his mission of transforming lives and providing second chances through food, especially to those that are in at-risk and underrepresented populations.
The competition will be made up of four teams consisting of one local professional chef, one Pima Community College student, and a local high school student. The local chefs include Chef Lindy of Thunder Bacon Burger Co., Chef Devon Sanner of Zio Peppe, Chef Gary Hickey of Si Charro and Flores Concepts, and Chef Kyrie of Tanque Verde Guest Ranch.
Each of these four diverse teams will compete against each other, and the top team standing will then compete against Chef Jeff. During the competition, Pima Community College will be offering scholarships to a few of these students (both high school and college).
Before the competition on Thursday, May 5, there’s a career and education expo from 2 – 8 p.m. and a VIP reception from 3 – 4:30 p.m. — be sure to check those out, too.
The event is free to attend and you can register for tickets online.
Chef Jeff’s visit to Tucson
During his visit to Pima, we will also accompany him to speak to and engage with inmates at both the Federal Corrections Institute and the US State Penitentiary. We will then visit with guests of the Gospel Rescue Mission’s Center of Opportunity, leaving with them a message of hope and encouragement on behalf of Chef Jeff and the Hospitality Leadership team.
The main goal is to raise awareness, exposure, and most importantly, scholarship money for amazing individuals who have been incarcerated, are homeless or are in some situation where they are seeking second chances. This is an extremely significant and important service for our program.
The AVA Amphitheater is located at 5655 W. Valencia Rd. For more information and to register for free tickets, visit pimafoundation.org.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
