School’s cook off a boost to local CMHA

May 31, 2017 | 12:37 PM

Students at a local high school showed their talents in the kitchen recently and helped a local non-profit organization at the same time.

A total of 87 students took part recently in North Battleford Comprehensive High School’s Commercial Cooking program cook off, better known as the “Taste of Foods” event, held in the school’s cafeteria.

Funds raised, which totalled $1,200, benefited the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Grades 10 to 12 Commercial Cooking program teacher Janice Staff said the event was a huge success.

Staff said it was a good opportunity for the students to show off their talents in preparing a four-course meal. She is also pleased so many students are taking the course, saying: “the more you know about cooking, the more you can make better choices with food.”

Grade 12 student Ashley Choque took part in the cook-off event, and has future plans to pursue a career in the culinary arts. The youth made an Oreo cheesecake for the fundraiser, saying it was a family favourite.

Students participating in the event created soups, salads, entrées and desserts to serve the 250 guests in attendance.

The school’s cook-off event is held twice a year. Invited guests, including students, parents, friends, and staff, each paid $6 for a meal that features samples of a variety of dishes prepared by the Commercial Cooking students.

Help for CMHA

Rob Rongve, who is also on the fundraising committee for the local CMHA, matched the school’s cook-off donation of $1,200 with a personal contribution, bringing the total up to $2,400.

Rongve said he wanted to “leverage [the students’] good work with some more.”

“It all goes to a great cause which is mental health in the community,” he added.

Canadian Mental Health Association’s Battlefords branch executive director Jane Zielke de Montbrun is thrilled with the support.

“It was very unexpected, and a surprise, so we are really happy to receive it,” she said.

The funds will be used to help with the CMHA building fund. The CMHA purchased and renovated the former North Battleford Lions Den building and moved into the new location at the end of April.

The donation will help the CMHA come closer to reaching its fundraising goal for the project. So far it has raised more than $375,000 of its $600,000 goal. It expects to be able to reach that target by the end of June.

“Supporting mental health in the community is becoming more and more important all the time, because people are having more mental health issues, and mental health problems,” said Zielke de Montbrun.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW