News for the Hospitality Executive |
Benchmark Hospitality Establishes the Bob Zappatelli Culinary
Arts Scholarship
In Partnership with The James Beard Foundation
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The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 2009 � Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the establishment of the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship. The new scholarship, which will be presented annually in partnership with The James Beard Foundation, will celebrate the late Bob Zappatelli�s passion for the food & beverage profession, and serve as a memorial to his unforgettable magnetism and enthusiasm in the advancement of the culinary arts. Mr. Zappatelli, who was vice president of food and beverage for Benchmark Hospitality, passed away unexpectedly on May 31st at age 50. Benchmark Hospitality established the new scholarship with an initial $10,000 contribution. �Benchmark Hospitality International is honored to establish this new annual scholarship program in Bob�s memory and in partnership with the revered James Beard Foundation,� said Burt Cabañas, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Hospitality. �This is the perfect living memorial to honor Bob�s passion for and commitment to the education and mentoring of talented culinary professionals throughout his prolific career.� Benchmark Hospitality International�s partner with the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship, The James Beard Foundation, is the definitive culinary arts organization in the United States dedicated to showcasing American chefs' talents. Named for the storied American chef, the late James Beard, the mission of The James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, preserve, nurture and further America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate and advance the appreciation of the nation's culinary excellence. During the past several years, Mr. Zappatelli worked closely with The James Beard Foundation, hosting the immensely popular Benchmark Holiday Dinner each December at the James Beard House in New York City. The James Beard Foundation provides the Scholarship Program as one of its educational pillars, to which the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship Fund will now be added. The Fund will be included in the Foundation�s catalogue of nearly 80 annual culinary scholarships the organization administers and makes available each spring for students domestically and globally. Featured James Beard Foundation scholarships include awards provided by such organizations as the landmark Blackberry Farm of Walland, Tennessee, the La Toque Scholarship in Wine Studies funded by Ken Frank in Napa, California, and scholarships in honor of notable friends of the Foundation, including the Mildred Amico Scholarship, the Peter Kump Scholarship, and the Clay Triplette Scholarship. Each spring, generous scholarships are granted via the James Beard Foundation to many schools of note, including the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales, and Le Cordon Bleu International. The Foundation will also offer Jean-Louis Palladin grants to chefs who seek out primary sources for local and sustainably grown ingredients. In 2010, the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship will be included
among this prestigious list of awards, utilizing criteria currently being
developed. The James Beard Foundation distributes resources through
the Scholarship Management Services division of Scholarship America, a
respected nonprofit organization that has helped award scholarships to
over one million students.
� Donations should be made to The James Beard Foundation, with "Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship" indicated on the Memo line.
To reference and share in a special Tribute Blog to Bob Zappatelli,
please visit: http://tributetobobz.blogspot.com/
The mission of The James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of the nation's culinary excellence. The Foundation is a national not-for-profit ¬ 501(c)(3) organization. According to the James Beard Foundation, all performing artists deserve a great stage: Musicians have Carnegie Hall; Opera singers have The Metropolitan Opera House; and Chefs, Winemakers and Cookbook Authors have The James Beard House. More than 20 dinners, lunches and workshops are held each month at The James Beard House to showcase culinary artists from America and around the world. About Benchmark Hospitality International
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Contact:
Ken Ellens
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Also See: | In Memoriam: A Tribute to Bob Zappatelli, Benchmark's Vice President of Food and Beverage, 1959 � 2009 / June 2009 |
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