Legacy Gala Multi-course Dinner and Dancing

Description

Peterson Regional Medical Center’s (PRMC) Celebrity Chef Cooking School and Legacy Gala stretch the boundaries of any past events.  Addressing results of a community health needs assessment, supporting and promoting local and regional businesses and talents, and focusing on healthcare sustainability for all stakeholders, this year’s event ties the Hill Country community together at multiple levels.

Shares PRMC President and CEO Patrick Murray, “We are always very grateful for the unwavering support of the PRMC Foundation and the community members who help raise money and volunteer to support the hospital.  Funds raised from this year’s event are more important than ever before.  Proceeds of over $535,000 raised over the years have been allocated to support the exceptional care we provide patients and have been used to purchase leading edge medical equipment or technology which have allowed us to continue to grow and advance our mission.  This event allows PRMC to sustain our mission - continuing to lead the Hill Country in not only providing exceptional healthcare for patients but also improving the health status of the communities we serve.” 

With great excitement, the PRMC Foundation announces that we have procured the talented services of leading culinary Chef John Brand.  Brand brings more than a dozen years of experience in luxury properties and currently leads the culinary experience at two restaurants:  Ostra at the Mokara Hotel and Spa and Las Canarias at companion hotel Omni La Mansion del Rio, both located on the world famous River Walk in San Antonio.

“We are really pleased to have someone of Chef Brand’s background and personality involved in the Legacy Gala this year,” shared Sonny Baldwin, President of PRMC Foundation.  “Not only does he bring a wealth of experience and creative and innovative culinary skills to our fund raising events, he is willing to work with us in creating a truly Hill Country experience!”

Raised on a farm in the Midwest, Executive Chef John Brand cultivated a passion for locally sourced, fresh ingredients that he applies to restaurants he leads.  Brand’s experience includes chef de cuisine at Charles Court restaurant at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. He refined his gastronomical talents as executive chef at Fossett’s at Keswick Hall in Keswick, Virginia, and as executive sous chef at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. Prior to that, Brand was executive sous chef at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, and maintained several positions at the Hyatt Regency Beaver Creek Resort and Spa in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Chef Brand’s vision for Las Canarias introduces a broader variety of locally sourced produce and meats to the menu. Brand incorporates vibrant, regional ingredients, including Native American greens and products such as quinoa that were once prevalent in the South Texas region.

A wholesome “lifestyle cuisine” approach is part and parcel to the menu at Ostra, which Brand prefers to a “spa cuisine” approach. The use of fish raised and harvested in sustainable circumstances is emphasized at the seafood-focused restaurant. Brand’s enthusiasm for the rich history and vibrant culinary scene of San Antonio is captured in his menus at Ostra and Las Canarias, continuing to delight regulars as well as new guests.  He looks forward to sharing his creative cooking skills and styles with the Hill Country guests.
 

Brand was discovered for this event by Cooking School Chair Gaye Avery who patronized the Mokara Hotel kitchen while recently in San Antonio.  On a scouting trip, she immediately noted the hospitality, healthy cuisine, and easy-going personality from the renowned chef.  Avery put the Foundation in contact with Brand as the leading candidate for the event.  Shares Avery, “When asked earlier in the year to serve as the cooking school chair I knew it was important to recognize Peterson’s commitment to health.  But months before this event, I volunteered to serve on the Community Health Needs Assessment.  The exercise offered vested stakeholders with ammunition to lead change in our community.  The Hill Country is very philanthropic and loves to offer events to help others and raise money.  Brand is a chef that believes in healthy options without losing the appetite and appeal of great foods and fine dining, and he can show us how to prepare fine foods and wines that support a healthy lifestyle with substance and sustenance.  This year’s cooking school and gala will tie our community together on many levels by meeting our goal to focus on healthy choices but will continue to be highly entertaining and offer a refreshing palette for all in attendance. But the bonus is that Chef Brand’s restaurants are just down the road in San Antonio which is easy and accessible if patrons would like to enjoy his great cuisine before or well after the event!”

Get ready to enjoy the experience!  The cooking school is Thursday, November 14^th at The Inn of the Hills in Kerrville at 6:30 p.m.  Tickets for the cooking school start at $80 with reserved seating at $150.  With attendance limited to the first 250 guests, we expect this event to be sold out quickly!

The one of a kind, multi-course, Legacy Gala dinner and wine tasting will be Saturday, November 16^th, also at the Inn of the Hills.  Major sponsorships ($2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000) include an exclusive VIP reception with Chef Brand beginning at 5:00 p.m and will include premium seating at reserved tables for ten and more.  Individual Legacy Gala tickets prices begin at $150. 

Entertainment and dancing at the Gala on Saturday will once again feature the incomparable sounds of the Nash Hernandez Orchestra (www.nashhernandez.com) from Austin. 

For more information or to make reservations for the cooking school or gala, contact the PRMC Foundation at (830) 258-7421 or visit the website at www.legacygala.org. 

To learn more about the selected cooking school and gala celebrity chef:  www.chefjohnbrand.com.

For additional information on Chef Brand’s San Antonio sites – The Mokara Hotel & Spa or the Omni La Mansiün del Rio – visit www.mokarahotel.com or www.omnilamansion.com.