http://www.dccentralkitchen.org News from DC Central Kitchen http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=238 Emily Paulson, coordinator of the Campus Kitchen at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. came to the kitchen with hopes of tilling a community garden, but she soon realized the resources weren’t there yet. "Gleaning was a nice way to collect produce for our kitchen without having the knowledge or resources to plant a garden," said Paulson. Two years later, the pieces came together. Harlow Hotrum, a former farmer, donated a 100-foot long greenhouse on his farming community with the promise of renovations. He also gave Paulson the gift of hydration, rigging his well water to the greenhouse irrigation system. Two blocks away, St. Margaret's Shelter, a long-standing a community partner of the Campus Kitchen, keeps a community garden that occupants tend for selling produce at the farmer's market, which helps fund programs. The shelter and its master gardener offered their gardening expertise to help the Campus Kitchen at Gonzaga University learn to grow. What do students and Paulson plan to grow once the repair work is done, and they secure donations of seeds? Paulson says hopefully, by summer 2010, they'll be sowing seeds for potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and maybe green beans. "It's kind of cool because it's pulling in different types of students for us," said Paulson. "Spokane is a little bit behind the times on community gardening. We are getting students that haven't been involved with the campus kitchen before that say, 'Hey, I'm interested in this [gardening].'" The only requirement on Paulson's end is that she keeps the produce she grows organic to help protect Mr. Hotrum's land. While Paulson holds high hopes for the project, she says there's a lot to consider when planting a garden, including developing a plan for heating and cooling systems. She's already met with the engineering department about working with students for creative solutions. Paulson said she even considered a suggestion of keeping 30 chickens in the greenhouse. Their body heat would help warm the building. "The best case scenario, we not only feed the community through this garden, but we produce enough to sell produce at farmers markets, fund the campus kitchen, and give food away to other organizations," said Paulson. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=237 This past Friday, Alice Waters and cookbook author Joan Nathan visited DC Central Kitchen in preparation for Sunday Night Suppers. Inspired by last year's Art.Food.Hope dinners that took place during President Obama's inauguration, Sunday Night Suppers brought together acclaimed chefs and community leaders once again to support DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table. Served in 14 private homes around the Washington area, the dinners provided opportunity for robust conversations about solutions to hunger. DC Central Kitchen was honored to have the support of such like-minded chefs. "I find talking to them very inspiring," commented Alice Waters. "It's so wonderful to see a huge organization like [DCCK] talking about the most innovative ways to use organic food." Check out these links for more information about the event: Metrocurean All We Can Eat Special thanks to our fabulous HOSTS & CHEFS who gave their time and talent so generously and enthusiastically to make Sunday Night Suppers a huge success. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=236 On Tuesday, DC Central Kitchen celebrated the graduation of our 77th Culinary Job Training Class. The ceremony featured guest speaker Bart Hosmer, Director of Culinary Development at Marriott International. Marriott has been a major partner of DC Central Kitchen for many years, and was especially involved in the 77th class. The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation covered the entire cost of training this class, and also played a big role in their curriculum. Students had the amazing opportunity to visit Marriott's corporate test kitchen and learn from Marriott corporate chefs about working in the hospitality industry. In addition to receiving a solid education in the culinary arts, computer literacy, job hunting, and life skills, the Culinary Job Training curriculum also includes nutrition classes that correlate with each culinary module. Students gain knowledge about healthy eating habits and cooking techniques in order to serve a diverse population with various health needs. During the course of the program, Class 77 helped produce over a quarter of a million meals for social service agencies in the city. Working in meal production provides students with real-world training as they meet the intense production schedule and timeline. Students of Class 77 will now join their fellow Alumni of the Culinary Job Training program as they begin their successful culinary careers. Thanks to Marriott and to all our supporters who made this possible. Need a Prep Cook in your kitchen? Interested in hiring a skilled professional? Contact Julia Reticker-Flynn, Workforce Development and Graduate Coordinator, by phone at 202-234-0707 x143 or by email at jretickerflynn@dccentralkitchen.org. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=235 Eric and Patricia Shinseki chop vegetables alongside Chef Dorothy. Photo by Robert Turti. DC Central Kitchen honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special day full of service with guest volunteers including VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. While every day of the year is a day of service at DC Central Kitchen, MLK day holds special importance to us because of his legacy of community empowerment. Dr. King was a deep believer in social change and economic empowerment, which is at the core of what we do here: bringing together the community to create opportunities for economic empowerment for everyone. In addition to Eric Shinseki and his wife Patricia, the Kitchen hosted volunteers from Serve DC, National Cathedral School, and Howard University Law School. Volunteers are essential to producing the 4,000 meals we deliver every day. Meanwhile, our national arm - The Campus Kitchens Project – hosted more than 900 volunteers and awarded grants to 18 community based organizations in 13 states. Funds will create new Campus Kitchens, build community gardens and assist other programs that exemplify the community-building missions of both CKP and the King Day of Service.  http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=234 (above) Marriott Test Kitchen Chef Tom O'Gara speaks with students at Marriott Corporate Headquarters. Field trips are an essential part of our 12-week Culinary Job Training program. DC Central Kitchen has built strong partnerships with area businesses to provide students with valuable hands-on experience. As the sponsor of class 77, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation covers all class expenses. In addition, Marriott International Executives volunteer with the students throughout their 12 weeks. Marriott Director of Culinary Development Bart Hosmer will be the keynote speaker for the class graduation on January 19th, 2010. During one field trip to the Marriott Headquarters, students received a sneak peek of the Marriott test kitchen and spoke to the various Marriott chefs. Students then traveled to the Marriott Bethesda Suites, toured their kitchen and spoke to the General Manager Keith McNeill. "It is an amazing opportunity to see the whole inner workings of such a large organization," commented Linda Vogler, DC Central Kitchen's Culinary Arts Coordinator. "Whenever we work with Marriott, they make our students feel like they are the most important guests they have. The Marriott field trips are truly invaluable." During their second field trip to Marriott, students met Mr. Richard Marriott, the Chairman of The J. Willard and Alice S. Foundation, as well as Anne Gunsteens, Executive Director of the Foundation. And this past Monday, students went to the Ritz Carlton to make green tea cookies with the Marriott Pastry Chef as a parting gift for guests who were attending a conference. "This is the second year in a row that the Marriott Foundation has sponsored a Culinary Job Training class, helping 36 graduates start new lives," comments Brian MacNair, Chief Development Officer. Special thanks to the Marriott Foundation and Marriott International for their exceptional partnership and devotion to our Culinary Job Training program. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=233 DC Central Kitchen remained open through record snowfall this weekend, delivering more than 11,000 meals while much of the city was shut down. Staff, volunteers, and board members came to prepare meals, even though public transportation was spotty and many had to trudge through the cold and snow on foot. Together, they produced our normal 4,000 meals per day plus an additional 3,200 emergency lunches for local shelters. Special thanks go to our drivers who delivered the hot meals safely and on time despite the enormous challenges. Our transportation crew worked late Saturday and Sunday and took on extra delivery routes despite the weather. “It was a monster getting around.  DC did a pretty good job clearing the main roads, but the secondary roads were not cleared, and that was where many of the shelters are,” said Steve Robinson, Transportation Manager. At times, the drivers were stuck behind vehicles that couldn’t move or were stuck in the snow themselves, but amazingly, no meals were late. Meanwhile, our street-outreach team, First Helping, worked to secure emergency housing for vulnerable clients. Huge thanks to everyone whose hard work, dedication and fast action helped ensure that these critical services were not interrupted. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=232 With our new Healthy Returns Coordinator Lauren Statman, DC Central Kitchen can now provide nutrition education to our Spanish-speaking partner agencies. In 2009, DC Central Kitchen began a new partnership with The Family Place, whose clients are predominantly Spanish-speaking mothers with children under the age of 5 years. So far, Lauren has provided 18 Spanish-speaking mothers with basic nutrition education, including: Spanish-language handouts covering the food groups, recommended daily intake, and portion control; Benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables; Ways to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables; Difference between unsaturated and saturated fats and their affects on blood cholesterol; and Importance of fiber and whole grains. For most clients, these lessons are their only source of nutrition education. With Lauren leading the way, Healthy Returns will continue to expand its Spanish-language resources and programming, providing a foundation for adults and children who are just beginning to learn about nutrition. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=231 Every Friday, over a third of the students at Natural Bridge Elementary in Rockbridge County, Va. go home from school with two backpacks - and it's not because they have extra homework to do. Operators of the Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University (CKWLU) team up with Natural Bridge Elementary staff and load backpacks with nutritious snacks to send home with students for the weekend. The program, which began in December, could soon serve as a hunger relief model for all county schools, and inspire other campus kitchens. "On any given week we're receiving over 1,000 pounds of food," said Jenny Sproul, coordinator at CKWLU. In November, CKWLU picked up around 5,000 pounds of fresh produce and packaged goods from the Lexington, Va. Wal-Mart. The stockpile of goods that CKWLU accumulates (it also acts as the area's food bank) helped inspire the backpack program. Sproul says they gave out 105 backpacks at Natural Bridge Elementary during the first week of the program. Inside: canned ravioli, carrots, Juicy Juice, a large box of cereal, and a granola bar. She says she hopes the Campus Kitchen can eventually pack enough food to provide students with meals for the whole weekend. "It shows that the community cares," said Natural Bridge Elementary Principal Matthew Crossman. "There are a lot of agencies that Jenny is working with so I think they all feel good about helping serve kids in the community." One of those agencies donated over 250 backpacks to facilitate easier transport and distribution of the food. The George C. Marshall Foundation, which conducts educational, outreach, and U.S. Army leadership programs, gave away the packs that are usually used as an award for graduation from their programs. Crossman said he assembled a "backpack team" among staff at Natural Bridge to receive the donation of backpacks and place them in student's lockers before the end of the school day. Children at Natural Bridge who receive free or reduced lunches are eligible for the program. Over 50 percent of the school's students accept free lunches. "Of course, with the state of the economy, some people are getting laid off so they are starting to tighten up their belts," said Crossman. "The kids are pretty excited about it. The parents seem excited too." Sproul has heard similar feedback. "For some it's probably a nice little bonus," she said. "For others, I'm sure it's the difference between eating or not." (above, left to right) Kelsey Sizer, Shiri Yadlin, and Rosemary Kelley http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=230 Culinary Job Training students are preparing for the job search! After eight weeks of intensive training in chopping, grilling and sautéing, the students embark for their 40-hour internships at various locations, including: NIH Washington Convention Center Marriott International Fairmont Hotel Gaylord National Resort Holiday Inn Capitol Hill Evening Star Café Bethesda Country Club National Geographic Following their internship, students participate in a 3-week coordinated job search. Students receive guidance as they craft their resume and DC Central Kitchen staff conduct rigorous practice interviews with each student. Graduates of our 12-week, nationally recognized program are employed at schools, museums, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants, group homes and social service agencies. Demetrios Recachinas, the Manager of Food Programs at Martha's Table who recently hired a graduate of our Culinary Job Training Program, comments that their new hiree has "worked out great. Lakisha has learned our operations quickly and has taken a significant load off my shoulders...DC Central Kitchen will always be the first place I turn when I need a good, quality employee." Looking to hire? Please contact Julia Reticker-Flynn at 202-234-0707 x143 or jretickerflynn@dccentralkitchen.org. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=229 A long time partner and supporter of DCCK, 9:30 Club's Seth Hurwitz and his 9:30 family teamed up with DC Central Kitchen to combat hunger and create opportunity during this Holiday Season. The unique "Kicking Hunger's Ass!" t-shirt was specially designed by One Trick Pony. All profits from this limited-edition t-shirt will directly support DC Central Kitchen's mission. You can purchase a t-shirt online, at DC Central Kitchen, or at the 9:30 Club on show nights. "Both DC Central Kitchen and the 9:30 Club are local forces making DC, our home town, bolder, badder and better, so it's only natural that we work together to create a kick ass campaign to get folks involved," commented Robert Egger, founder of DC Central Kitchen. "We have always admired the work of DC Central Kitchen," said I.M.P. Chairman and owner of the 9:30 Club Seth Hurwitz. "Our families volunteer there. Hopefully, this will help educate the 9:30 Club audience that doesn't already know about them, although a lot of folks are already hip to what a great cause this is, and how sincere Robert is. He makes you ask yourself what else you can be doing to help people." Special thanks to Seth Hurwitz, the 9:30 Club, and One Trick Pony for creating a Kick Ass campaign. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=228 On Wednesday, four teams of Culinary Job Training students competed to make the best Venison Chili. After researching and practicing recipes for the two days prior, students were prepared to compete at their best. "On Monday, our chili turned out too spicy. For Tuesday, we toned it down a bit and today, we think we've got it right," explained Sheila from team Hot Chili Peppers. Students were strategically assigned specific teams by their culinary instructors, allowing students to be stretched and challenged as they worked alongside team members they did not choose themselves. "Everything is going a whole lot better than I expected," commented Richard from team Hot & Spicy. "They put three of the strongest personalities on a team together. But we decided upfront who would be responsible for which tasks and made it clear that this was based on team effort, not individual." Venison was also a new ingredient for many students to add to their culinary repertoire, the result of a new partnership with Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) that has already provided about 6,000 pounds of lean, hormone- and antibiotic- free venison for use in some of the 4,000 meals we prepare each day. A generous grant from Saint Alban's Parish Transformation Fund will fund the processing and transportation of about 6,000 pounds more over the next few months. At 1:30pm, the cooking came to a halt as the judges arrived, ready to test the four variations of chili. Our judges included: Jim Tate – Saint Alban's Parish Josh Wilson – Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry Kathryn Walsh – Bethesda Country Club Will Artley – Evening Star Café Mary Ann West – Huffington Press Glenn Spindler – Keany Produce After tasting some sweet, some hot and some of both, the judges declared team Hot & Spicy as the winners of the cook-off! Their team chemistry combined with their secret ingredient of cocoa culminated into a chili full of rich and deep flavor. Excellent work! http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=227 Were thankful for the over 300 turkeys we received from generous food donors, including Federal Schedules, City Year and the Department of Treasury Police Department. We're thankful for the DC Jewish Community Center, who helped prepare over 300 trays of side dishes, as well as our other hard-working volunteers who helped at DC Central Kitchen. We're thankful for the food donations we received from the Convention Center's Feast of Sharing. We're thankful that we were able to make healthy and hearty meals using fresh sweet potatoes and other vegetables rather than canned. We're thankful for all who gave Virtual Turkeys, providing the funds we needed to make this Thanksgiving a huge success. As a result of this inspiring support, we were able to pass along our thankfulness and provide delicious, home-cooked Thanksgiving meals to our partner agencies and street outreach clients. For Adam's Place Shelter, we provided both their regular meals and a special Thanksgiving meal for their talent show. "The holidays is often a time of depression for many people because they are unhappy with their state of life," explains Jerald, DC Central Kitchen's Director of Kitchen Operations. "The talent show at Adam's Place is a fun activity that helps alleviate that depression. I'm thankful that we were able to help by providing a healthy, warm Thanksgiving meal." Thank you for enabling others to experience an uplifting Thanksgiving. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=226 This week, as we come together with our families and friends for meals, many of us think about how to help people on the streets.  It can be easy though to forget that hunger isn’t about food. It isn’t so much the meal that people on the streets are lacking, but the support network. That’s where our street-outreach program First Helping comes in. DC Central Kitchen is known for producing thousands of meals every day with recovered food, but the real magic lies in the way we use that food.  Inside the Kitchen, we use it as an opportunity for culinary job training.  Out on the streets, our outreach workers use breakfast as an opportunity to build supportive relationships with clients. For the past year, Chris Reams has been working on our street outreach team, doing this every day. He works to support clients as they struggle toward the small but critical successes that will start them down the road to recovery. Two months ago, he met a man named David who had developed a cocaine addiction and spent years living on the street, staying in shelters and abandoned buildings, and working part time jobs to fund his drug use. At age 55, David was assaulted and robbed on the street, and the experience finally shook him enough to make the decision to change. David entered a local short-term treatment program to take the first steps toward taking back his life. The odds were against him though. His years of drug use destroyed the supportive relationships he would have had, and meanwhile he had surrounded himself with negative influences. The temptations to relapse were everywhere, and there were very few voices offering support. Chris’s support was critical during this time. He became a trusted advocate for David, helping him get necessary paperwork, identification, and other necessities and checked in with him on a regular basis to help keep him accountable to his goal. David persevered and completed the short-term treatment program. He is now entering a long-term program designed to help him return to a healthier lifestyle. Chris is staying engaged, and is working with him to plan his next steps and research his future options for supportive housing. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=225 Chef Maro Nalabandian demonstrates her recipe for fresh tabouleh On Wednesday, DC Central Kitchen hosted two area chefs to celebrate Heritage Day with our Culinary Job Training Class. Chef Maro Nalabandian--Chef Instructor at L’Academie De Cuisine--taught the traditional lebanese dish Tabouleh. Chef Tim Miller from Mie N Yu taught the students Sunomono Blue Crab Salad With Pickled Quail Eggs. The Heritage days are part of a series of special events in the curriculum of the Culinary Job Training program, each designed to broaden the repertoire of these new culinary professionals. The program is aimed at preparing our trainees for a career in the food service industry, giving these underemployed individuals the tools to triumph over poverty and become self-sufficient. Chef Tim Miller explains the use of Soba noodles in Japanese dishes http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=224 Michael Mina Wins Capital Food Fight 2009 Mike Isabella serves judges Ted Allen and Eric Ripert Michael Mina emerged victorious Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd, besting two time champ Barton Seaver in the final battle. The on-stage action was intense, with some of the area's hottest chefs competing, including two current Top Chef contestants (Mike Isabella and Bryan Voltaggio), this year's WCR Golden Whisk winner (Tracy O'Grady), Esquire Magazine's Chef of the Year (Barton Seaver), and the nationally renown Michael Mina. The real showstopper though may have been the surprise battle between former Top Chef finalist Carla Hall and Hell's Kitchen winner Rock Harper, with Anthony Bourdain and Jose Andres serving as sous chefs. The crowd's excitement was palpable and in fact the contest was decided by an applause-o-meter. The crowd favored Hall and Bourdain's pairing of foie gras with the fresh local pears that served as secret ingredient. Jose Andres and Anthony Bourdain appeal to the crowd during their surprise battle, serving as sous chefs to Chef Rock and Carla Hall, respectively. Over 60 restaurants served signature dishes to the crowd, ranging from braised octopus (Zaytinya) to tandoori chicken sliders (Co Co. Sala). The event was a spectacular success and raised a record amount of funds to support our mission to combat hunger and create opportunity. Many thanks to our sponsors, battling chefs, celebrity guests, partner restaurants, and to our many friends in attendance, who all make our work possible! http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=223 Update: WeLoveDC blog covers the awards ceremony - Women Chefs in DC Area Win in a Landslide On Sunday, the national conference of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs honored DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Arts Coordinator Linda Vogler with the Women Who Inspire Community Service Award. The award is presented to a chef who has made a difference in the lives of others through her career in the Culinary Arts. In her career, Linda Vogler has helped over 500 men and women get a second chance in life through the culinary arts.  With a Bachelor of Arts in English, Linda taught school for 13 years.  In 1985, after receiving an associate degree in culinary arts, Linda started a catering business in Myrtle Beach and worked in resort dining.  After returning to her hometown of Charlotte, NC, to raise her daughter, Linda worked at Presbyterian Hospital as catering supervisor, then executive chef.  In 1998, Linda founded a culinary arts non-profit job training program.  In 2006, Linda returned to Myrtle Beach to direct the city’s Community Kitchen, a feeding program for the homeless.  Later that year Linda accepted a position as Culinary Arts Coordinator of the DC Central Kitchen.  Throughout her career, she has been the recipient of numerous culinary and humanitarian awards while producing several publication and videos. All of us here at DC Central Kitchen are so proud of Linda, and of all the great women chefs whose partnerships make our programs possible. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=222 In Mountain View, California last week, Robert Egger was honored by the Elfenworks Foundation for his outstanding contributions towards eliminating poverty in America. The award pays tribute to three mission-focused individuals whose examples prove that innovation can create new opportunities to integrate the poor and the marginalized and elevate us all. Other honorees this year were: Father Gregory Boyle, founder and director of Homeboy Industries, for his work promoting nonviolence and creating training and jobs for thousands of LA’s gang members; and Father Peter Young, founder of Peter Young Housing, Industries and Treatment, for his innovative rehabilitation programs that provide a path to self sufficiency for more than 3,000 people across New York State every day. Past honorees have included Rosalynn Carter (The Carter Center), Joyce Dattner (Bay Area All Stars), Dr. Paul Farmer (Partners in Health), Lois Lee (Children of the Night), Dr. Jack McConnell (Volunteers in Medicine), and Paul Minorini (Boys Hope Girls Hope). http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=221 On Thursday, October 22, student volunteers in 20 cities across the nation prepared and delivered the one-millionth meal to neighbors in need through The Campus Kitchens Project, a national student-powered hunger relief organization. The Campus Kitchens Project partners with high schools, colleges and universities to share on-campus kitchen space, recover unused food from cafeterias, work with local farms for produce and engage students as volunteers who plan menus, prepare and deliver meals to the community. Here in Washington DC, student leaders from the Campus Kitchens across the nation gathered for our annual national conference. On the opening day, students prepped and cooked meals at DC Central Kitchen, the place where it all started, and delivered the millionth meal to La Casa—a transitional housing program in the District of Columbia. Later that evening, at the conference’s opening reception, the students were addressed by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) who lauded The Campus Kitchens Project as an innovative and successful anti-hunger model that should be adopted in every state. Since 2001, the Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) has provided healthy meals to their neighbors in need by harnessing the spirit of student volunteerism within local communities. Now in its eighth year, CKP operates on 20 college and high school campuses, providing meals to individuals and families in their communities. Thanks to the support of Sodexo, General Mills and the Corporation for National and Community Service, Campus Kitchens continues to grow. http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=220 On Wednesday, DC Central Kitchen celebrated the graduation of our 76th Culinary Job Training Class. The ceremony featured guest speaker Sam Kass, Assistant White House Chef and Food Initiatives Coordinator, who delivered the keynote speech. In addition to receiving a solid education in the culinary arts, computer literacy, job hunting, and life skills, the Culinary Job Training curriculum also includes nutrition classes that correlate with each culinary module. Students gain knowledge about healthy eating habits and cooking techniques in order to serve a diverse population with various health needs. During the course of the program, Class 76 helped produce over a quarter of a million meals for social service agencies in the city. Working in meal production provides students with real-world training as they meet the intense production schedule and timeline. Students of Class 76 will now join their fellow Alumni of the Culinary Job Training program as they begin their successful culinary careers. Thanks to the sponsors of the Culinary Job Training Program, including Clark Construction and TD Bank! Need a Prep Cook in your kitchen? Interested in hiring a skilled professional? Contact Julia Reticker-Flynn, Workforce Development and Graduate Coordinator, by phone at 202-234-0707 x143 or by email at jretickerflynn@dccentralkitchen.org. Guest Speaker Sam Kass, Assistant White House Chef and Food Initiatives Coordinator http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=219 Tom Colicchio, head judge on Bravo's Top Chef, visited the Kitchen on Thursday, to do research for a documentary that he and his wife (documentary filmmaker Lori Silverbush) are making about hunger in America. Colicchio toured our facility and talked at length about hunger and food policy with DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, our President and Founder Robert Egger, and our longtime supporter José Andrés. The staff was thrilled to meet him, and we are excited to see his work on this important project.