Guy Fieri to fire up the stage as headliner for Saint
Martin’s Gala
March 31, 2012
LACEY,
WASHINGTON — And the celebrity chef is…Guy Fieri!
Saint Martin’s University announced this morning that it will
welcome Guy Fieri as the celebrity chef for its
2012 Gala, an annual
black-tie affair benefiting student scholarship funds. The
announcement concluded the University’s “Guess the Celebrity
Chef” contest on Twitter,
ending a week of suspense and speculation about this year’s
headliner.
The Saint Martin’s Gala will take place Saturday, Nov. 3, at
Marcus Pavilion on the University’s Lacey campus. As the Gala
chef, Fieri will lead guests on an epicurean adventure featuring
a gourmet dinner, specially selected wine and a live auction.
From the on-stage Viking kitchen, Fieri will entertain guests as
he prepares each course from a menu created exclusively for the
event. The day’s program also will feature a ticketed afternoon
event with Fieri, separate from the Gala, similar to last year’s
“Meet the Chef” affair.
Known for his high-energy personality, his passion for food
and his trademark blond spiky hair, Fieri has been dubbed a
“culinary rock star.” In addition to being a talented chef, he
is a successful restaurateur, engaging television personality
and New York Times best-selling author. Fieri’s first TV
program,
Guy’s Big Bite, premiered on Food Network in 2006.
Today, Fieri also hosts the top-rated show
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and the special series
Tailgate Warriors, and serves as guest judge on
Next Food Network Star. Since 2010, Fieri has been host of the
NBC primetime game show,
Minute To Win
It.
“In many ways, the Gala showcases the best of Saint
Martin’s,” says Saint Martin’s University President Roy
Heynderickx, Ph.D. “At the heart of the event are our spirit of
hospitality and our sense community, which we seek to share with
every guest we host on campus.”
“We prepare our students to enter the world with a commitment
to service and a spirit of generosity, and encourage them to
blend these values into their professional and personal
pursuits. Guy models this with gusto, uniting his culinary
passion with a philanthropic vision,” adds Heynderickx.
Fieri’s philanthropic efforts focus on young people and the
military. In 2011, he officially launched
CWK (Cooking With
Kids), a program that encourages developing healthy eating
habits to address the childhood obesity crisis, strengthen the
family unit by sharing quality time in the kitchen, and as a
result increase children’s self-esteem in a fun and positive
way. He also actively supports the armed forces, and has visited
and entertained troops throughout the world.
The Gala, which falls the week before Veterans Day, has
traditionally welcomed several servicemen and women among its
guests. This year, as part of the Gala program, Fieri will help
Saint Martin’s recognize its students and supporters from the
military, in particular, those from the University’s Joint Base
Lewis-McChord extension campuses.
“Last year, we raised the bar on the Gala, drawing both
longtime, loyal friends and new supporters,” says Heynderickx.
“This year, we hope to not just host another successful event,
but also increase awareness of Saint Martin’s, its mission and
its exceptional students.”
Last year’s Gala, which featured chef Mario Batali, was a
record-setting event for the University. It brought in more than
$600,000, generating in excess of $150,000 alone from the
Feed-A-Mind paddle-raise for student scholarships.
The 2012 Gala co-chairs are Dick ‘64 and Karen Roney and
Armandino ‘59 and Marilyn Batali.
Individual ticket and table sales will begin May 1.
Individual tickets for the event are $250; table costs vary.
Availability of individual tickets will be extremely limited;
individuals who plan to purchase tickets are encouraged to
coordinate with others in advance to purchase a table.
For additional details about the Saint Martin’s 2012 Gala,
including ticket and sponsorship information, visit the event
website at
www.stmartin.edu/gala, or contact the Saint Martin’s
University Office of Institutional Advancement at 360-486-8885
or gala@stmartin.edu. For
more about Guy Fieri, visit
www.guyfieri.com.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year,
coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in
Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of
Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges
and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only
one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University
prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and
six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business,
education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250
students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main
campus, and 650 more to its extension campuses located at Joint
Base Lewis-McChord, Everett College, Centralia College and
Tacoma Community College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University
website at www.stmartin.edu.
For more information:
Jennifer Fellinger
Vice president for marketing and communications
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
www.stmartin.edu