The French Pastry School's Scholarship Foundation Raises $105,000 for Students through For the Love of Chocolate Gala
On February 25, the halls of one of the biggest buildings in the world brimmed with activity as the best in the food industry came together to support the 7th Annual For the Love of Chocolate Foundation Gala. As star chefs served delicious morsels in the myriad showrooms of The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, models strutted in edible couture, a dance party gained momentum, and crowds gathered around a 9.5-by-6-by-5-foot replica of Chicago’s Cloud Gate covered entirely in Jelly Belly® Jelly Beans and Chocolate Dips®.
The foundation’s biggest event of the year, which raises scholarships for students of The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King Colleges at City Colleges of Chicago, drew more than 1,500 guests from all over the country. It was attended by local personalities and celebrity pastry chefs Chris Hanmer, Johnny Iuzzini and Keegan Gerhard. More than $100,000 in scholarships were earned with style and fun for students of L'Art de la Pâtisserie and L'Art du Gâteau thanks to a host of sweet and savory chefs, performers and volunteers.
Honorary Chair Person Abigail Wodrich charmed Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., as Princess Lollipop. The first For the Love of Chocolate Gala was founded to raise funds for the Wodrich family when Abigail was only 16 weeks old and in dire need of a kidney transplant. This year, Abby will be 8 years old.
For the Love of Chocolate Foundation provides scholarships for qualified students in the specialized training of the pastry arts, specifically in the full-time programs taught by The French Pastry School at the City Colleges of Chicago. For the Love of Chocolate Foundation promotes commitment in pastry arts education for individuals looking to change careers, as well as individuals who have shown potential in the culinary field but who have no formal pastry education. For more information, see www.fortheloveofchocolatefoundation.org.