Two+Events

Two of the Five Events
 * 1) A gala/dinner event – special dinner celebration/awards/fundraiser that includes dinner

: Opening Night; Tuesday May 19th
==Winemaker Pierre Seillan and his wife Monique, from the Chateau Lassegue winery in Bordeaux, will be at dinner to present their Chateau Lassegue, Tenuta di Arceno and Verite wines. 7:00pm - 625 St. Charles Avenue - $125/person (Inclusive)==

[|NEW ORLEANS WINE & FOOD EXPERIENCE DONATES $125,000 TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS]

 * NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — ** The Board of Directors of the 2008 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) has announced that ten local organizations have received donations totaling $125,000 to support their programs and foundations. NOWFE, which is a non-profit organization, hosts an annual multi-day event, featuring culinary seminars and demonstrations, an exclusive wine auction, vintner dinners and wine tastings presented by leaders in the New Orleans and national wine and food community. “Not only does this event attract tourists to our city, who in turn impact our local economy, but it enables us to reinvest in the very entities that have created and inspired this great American city,” states Greg Reggio, NOWFE Board President. “This year’s contributions are just the beginning of what NOWFE has to offer. We are in the business of making New Orleans a stronger, healthier and more vibrant community, not only though charitable gifts, but by spreading awareness of New Orleans joie de vivre.”

NOWFE is proud to distribute much needed funding to the following organizations dedicated to our local community: The University of New Orleans, School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism received $27,500. The UNO HRT Program provides students with the foremost in hospitality and tourism education, which involves individual growth and leadership skills, and professional knowledge of the hospitality and tourism industry. The Louisiana Restaurant Association was granted $27,500 for its Education Foundation’s ProStart Program. ProStart is a two-year, culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a career in the restaurant industry. The University of New Orleans School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism (HRT) also received $27,500. UNO’s School of HRT offers an excellent program and curriculum striving to provide graduates with the skills and background to prepare them to become leaders in the hospitality and tourism industries. The John Folse Culinary Institute also received $27,500. The John Folse Culinary Institute is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Louisiana’s rich culinary heritage. NOWFE’s annual donation funds a scholarship for top culinary students to travel to the Bocuse Institute in France, where they receive hands-on experience in the French roots of Louisiana culinary traditions. Delgado Culinary School was awarded $12,500 for its culinary programming. Culinary Arts is one of Delgado’s premier programs: training students for careers in the food services and restaurant industry. The New Orleans Fire Department’s Firehouse Restoration Project was given $5000. The Restoration Project is a unique partnership with the New York City District Council of Carpenters, where highly skilled union carpenters work side-by-side with NOFD firefighters and civilians from all walks of life to help restore firehouses devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Cancer Crusaders received $5000 to assist in the fulfillment of its purpose of raising funds for cancer research in the Greater New Orleans area. Proceeds are divided equally between the Tulane Cancer Center and LSU’s Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center for the express purpose of cancer research. Girls First was also granted $5000. Girls First is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sport and movement opportunities to underserved girls in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Animal Rescue of New Orleans received a gift of $5000. Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) is an organization created and dedicated to the rescue and aid of abandoned and homeless animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. ARNO promotes the foster, adoption, and reunion of pets with caretakers, as well as spaying/neutering of all companion animals. Coach Sean Payton’s Play It Forward Foundation also received a $5000 gift. Play It Forward strives to improve the lives of families and children in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, in the areas of health, education and social welfare. Fore!Kids Foundation was granted $5000. The Fore! Kids Foundation has helped to raise over $17 million to date, providing healthcare, education and hope for more than 200,000 kids each year. Octavio Mantilla, the incoming NOWFE Board of Directors President, is excited to announce that plans for the 2009 event have been finalized much earlier than in years past. Further, Mantilla states, “This event, which will be held May 19 - 23, 2009, invites the world to visit, sip and taste their way through one of America’s most unique cities.” The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a non-profit organization. The Board of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience has announced that ten local organizations have received donations totaling $125,000 to support their programs and foundations. Proceeds from the 2008 event benefited the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s ProStart Program, The University of New Orleans School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism, The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Delgado Community College Culinary Arts Program, New Orleans Firefighter House Fund, Sean Payton’s Play It Forward, Girls First, Cancer Crusaders, Animal Rescue New Orleans, and Fore! Kids. NOWFE 2009 will be held May 19 - 23, 2009. For additional press information, including downloadable images, contact Liz Bodet 504.583.5550, egoliwas@bellsouth.net or visit the media center at [|www.nowfe.com].