Premiere Wine Auction Generates Over $2 Million for the Children of the Gulf Coast Region

NEW ORLEANS, LA (November 9, 2007) – Carnivale du Vin, the premiere wine auction and fundraiser in New Orleans rated “Top 10” in the Nation by Wine Spectator magazine, raised over $2 million dollars for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, to benefit children’s education programs in the Gulf Coast region. To mark the occasion, Chef Emeril Lagasse welcomed an all-star cast of chefs and vintners to New Orleans for a weekend of incredible dining, music, art and wine.

Carnivale officially commenced as Fred and Carol Schrader of Schrader Cellars uncorked their Carnivale du Vin bottling, Vieux-Os Old Vine Zinfandel 2004, with Chef Emeril and his team of ten Chefs de Cuisine serving hors d’oeuvres during the “Bacchus” reception. Read more »

This Summer, ELF was proud collaborate and fund a 2-week intensive pilot program for 13 high school students. A guest instructor from Chef Emeril’s alma mater Johnson and Wales University taught the session.

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is seeking to add a four-year Culinary Arts program to its specialized arts curriculum. In the school’s over 30 year history, each time it has added a discipline, it started as a pilot program in the June Intensive session. Read more »

Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse says he’s more concerned than ever about Gulf Coast children and hopes the more than $500,000 in grants he’s committing for culinary education and summer camp programs will help to enrich lives tattered since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”These kids are the future. They’re the future of New Orleans,” said Lagasse, after announcing the grants at one of his two New Orleans restaurants. Read more »

Total Granted Since January 2006 is Now Over $1 millionNEW ORLEANS, LA (May 9, 2007) – Chef Emeril Lagasse announced today over $500,000 in grants donated by his Foundation toward culinary education and children’s summer programs in the New Orleans area at a reception at Emeril’s Restaurant. With this round of grants, over $1 million has been awarded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to New Orleans children’s organizations since January 2006.The programs receiving support will provide New Orleans youth with fun, safe and educational activities during summer break and allow for capital improvement of existing innovative projects. St. Michael Special School, a longtime beneficiary of Chef Emeril Lagasse, will receive funds to renovate its life skills academic lab and kitchen. The Edible Schoolyard at Green Charter School will be able to build an outdoor classroom to serve as the focal point of its edible garden. Read more »

– February 13th Benefiting St. Michael Special School –
New Orleans, LA (January 5, 2007) – Some of New Orleans’ best-known and most talented chefs will come together to cook, teach, entertain and serve up an amazing lunch for local food lovers at the 30th Annual “Chefs’ Charity for Children” fundraiser. It will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.
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Chef Emeril Lagasse combined several of his passions — including his dedication to helping students pursue a career in culinary arts and his appreciation for the sport of golf — when he returned to his alma mater, Johnson & Wales University, for the 4th Annual Emeril Lagasse Golf Classic benefiting his endowed scholarship fund. The tournament raised more than $503,000, bringing the four-year event total to just over $1.6 million dollars.
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New Orleans today is a volatile mix of anger and hope. The anger surges from the raw memories and broken promises that linger in the wake of hurricane Katrina. The hope blooms from events such as Carnivale du Vin, which raised more than $2.5 million to benefit the city’s children in a star-studded culinary event in October. ( Wine Spectator was among the event’s sponsors.)
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Gala and Auction Raises Record Amount for New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LA (October 30, 2006) – Carnivale du Vin, a culinary event and fundraiser for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation raised over $2.5 million dollars to benefit children in the New Orleans area. The sold-out event began with a reception showcasing the chefs of all nine of Emeril’s restaurants, and special Carnivale du Vin bottling, created by honorary event “Bacchus” Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat. Afterwards, there was a five course seated dinner featuring food and wine pairings by the world’s top chefs Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and local pastry chef duo Tariq Hanna and Joel Dondis; with wines by some of the country’s most renowned vintners including Joseph Bastianich (Bastianich Vineyards), Grace and Ken Evenstad (Domaine Serene), Carol and Fred Schrader (Schrader Cellars), Jayson Woodbridge (Hundred Acre), and Suzie and Paul Frank (Gemstone Vineyards).
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NEW ORLEANS, LA (August 20, 2006) – Emeril Lagasse Foundation, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and Celebrate Jazz LLC announce an educational cooking concert entitled “Cookin’ with Music” featuring Chef Emeril Lagasse and jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, along with the Wynton Marsalis Jazz Septet, to be held Monday, August 28, 2006 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The pair of nationally renowned personalities with roots in New Orleans will educate and entertain on the cultural similarities and creativity involved in both the culinary and musical artforms. The program is free of charge for 4,000 school children in the New Orleans area.
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Capital infusions : Last week, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation announced it was awarding $125,000 in “community impact” grants to help finance culinary education and summer camp programs.

Cafe Reconcile was among the grant recipients. The Central City cafe, which helps at-risk youth acquire skills in the restaurant business, received $25,000.

Also, the Willie Mae’s rebuilding project received $30,000 from the James Beard Foundation.

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Times-Picayune

Quick Bites
Friday, June 23, 2006
Brett Anderson
Restaurant writer

Brett Anderson writes about restaurants. He can be reached at banderson@timespicayune.com or at (504) 826-3353.