Recipe for Success
For the second straight year, George Harvey Collegiate Institute emerged victorious in the annual “East meets West” Battle of the Frying Pans.
George Harvey and Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School in 12 Division represented the west, while the east representatives were Mary Ward Catholic School and Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in 42 Division.
The ninth annual Stone Soup cook-off took place at Humber College.
The Stone Soup Cooking Club is an after-school program run in collaboration with Toronto Police, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Toronto Public Health. Supported by ProAction Cops & Kids, guest chefs join students, weekly during the fall and spring sessions, to teach them how to cook tasty, nutritious meals that cost very little to prepare, alongside police officers.
The sessions culminate in the May cook-off.
The judges this year included Deputy Chief Mike Federico, who noted that the program gives the youth immediate and applicable life skills.
“This cook-off is phenomenal and a great way to get kids engaged in a creative activity in a different element,” he said. “We are delighted that the kids are taking the culinary arts so seriously.”
Antonio Folino, Catering and Events Manager at Humber College’s School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism, said his institution was delighted to host the event.
“It gives real-life experience and lets the kids see what an industrial kitchen looks like,” he said. “If a student is on the fence regarding their future education, this visit to Humber helps them realize that it’s not just books and classrooms, but the college offers a lot of practical involvement.”
Smucker Foods of Canada vice-president of sales and trade marketing Stephen Kouri said Pro Action Cops & Kids is excited to support a program that builds life skills.
“Having the kids work with officers in a program where they have so much fun, even in such a high-stress environment, is truly beneficial,” said Kouri, a Pro Action Cops & Kids board director.
Stone Soup club members graduating this year were presented with bursaries donated by hospitality sector members.
A total of 12 bursaries totalling $3,700 were awarded.
