The Culinary Academy of Las Vegas held their First Annual Taste of Hospitality: 20 Years of Changing Lives on Thursday, September 18, 2014, at the Mirage pool. The event featured tastings from premiere restaurants such as Bacchanal Buffet, BurGR, Fleur, Giada - The Restaurant, Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall & BBQ, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar, Heritage Steak, Lakeside Seafood, Lemongrass, Nine Fine Irishmen, Olives, Portofino, R Steak & Seafood, Seafood Shack, and Tender Steak & Seafood. Entertainment was provided by top local DJs, including CAPTN20, Karma, Sir Pearce, Ikon, Shift, and Que. Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada provided a full and open bar with craft beer, wine, and cocktails. In addition, a silent auction and raffle offered a variety of items such as art, collectibles, and staycations. www.theculinaryacademy.org.
The Academy presented 20 scholarships to local nonprofit organizations, including the Asian Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, HELP USA, Latin Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club, Opportunity Village, The Shade Tree, Three Square Food Bank, and Urban Chamber of Commerce.
In the past two decades, the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas has trained more than 40,000 people for successful hospitality careers on the Strip. The nonprofit Academy is dedicated to its vision of reducing poverty and unemployment by providing vocational, customer service, and English language skills to youth, adults, and displaced workers.
The event honored Congressman Steven Horsford; George Seess, chef emeritus; Jim Bonaventure, director of legal affairs, Culinary Union Local 226; Mayumi Camarao, alumna; MGM Resorts International; Nevada Partners, Inc.; and Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada. All proceeds from the event benefit Academy students.
Event sponsors included: Grand Platinum - MGM Resorts International; Platinum - Caesars Entertainment Corporation; Gold - Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada; Silver – Blackout Artists, Culinary Union Local 226, Unite Here International, and Wynn Las Vegas; Supporting – Bartenders Union Local 165, Clearinghouse CDFI, L.T. Eventions, Inc., Treasure Island, and US Foods; Individual Highboys – Bank of America, Bank of Nevada, Colavita Olive Oil, Ecolab, Fontanini, Hampton & Associates, HTA International/FC Meyer Packaging, NVHCA Perry Foundation, Riviera Hotel & Casino, Southwest Medical Associates, T-Mobile, Wells Fargo, and WNA.
About Culinary Academy of Las Vegas
Founded in 1993, the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, the country’s leading nonprofit culinary and hospitality training institute, was developed through a joint labor-management trust representing private sector employers, the Culinary Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165. The Academy is licensed by the Nevada Commission on Post-Secondary Education and trains several thousand students per year for participating employers in the hospitality industry. Offerings include a 50-seat bistro-style restaurant, Westside Bistro, and a 400-seat banquet and events center located at the 710 West Lake Mead Blvd. campus. The Academy is the concessionaire of record and a caterer for The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Culinary Academy of Las Vegas is an equal opportunity employer/program. For more information, call 702.924.2100 or visit www.theculinaryacademy.org. Stay up to date on happenings on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
