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CYTC raising funds for Erfurt trip

Culinary Youth Team Canada kicks off its fund raising activities February 14th with a lavish Valentine's dinner in the Lucy Maude Dining Room at the Tourism and Culinary Centre, Team Manager Craig Youdale announced today.

The team is preparing for a series of competitions that culminates in the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany in October of 2008. The young chefs, all of whom are under the age of 23, spend up to 40 hours per week on top of their regular schedules in the kitchens of Holland College's Culinary Institute of Canada to prepare for the competition.

This is the second time in a row that the CIC has earned the right to represent Canada at these international Olympics, an honour that no one is taking lightly, according to Youdale.

"We represented Canada in the 2004 Olympics, and are well aware of the responsibility this honour entails," Youdale said, noting that in 2004 the team brought back gold and silver medals.

"The competition is fierce, and the chefs will need to be intensely focused for the next two years if they want to impress the international judges. We want to ensure that our team is prepared and equipped to go up against young chefs from other countries and showcase Canadian food and Canadian talent."

The cost of airfares and hotel accommodations for the team and their mentors is high, so the team will be hosting some fund-raising ventures throughout the next few months to ensure that they have enough money to travel to Erfurt to represent Canada. In addition to the Valentine's dinner, two gala dinners will be held, one in the fall of 2007 and of 2008.

Fund raising is just one facet of the challenge facing these young chefs. They have already begun a rigorous training regimen as they prepare for upcoming competitions in Scotland and Wales, Youdale explained.

"After weeks of practise, the team had what was essentially a dress-rehearsal for the competitions. This gave them an opportunity to smooth out all of the rough edges."

The team's fan base is building already, Holland College President Brian McMillan said.

"Just as other Olympic teams deserve and garner attention and support, so too do our culinary Olympians. In addition to the college's support, the team has many other fans across the country. Local and national companies are providing products and financial donations to help them as they prepare for competition. While we are off to a great start, the cost of travelling to international competitions is steep, and the team will need and be seeking all of the resources they can gather," he added.

The Valentine's dinner is a four course meal that includes wine, prizes, live music, flowers, and lots of chocolate! All proceeds will go to helping the team. Tickets are $75 per person, which includes all taxes and gratuities, wine with dinner, door prizes and treats. To find out more about Culinary Youth Team Canada, visit www.yteamcanada.com. To reserve tickets to the dinner, call Rose at 902.894.6868.

For more information about this release, please contact:
Sara Underwood, Media and Communications Officer
Tel: 902-566-9695
Date: Monday, January 29, 2007