The spirit of giving is alive and well in Central Ohio as evidenced by funds raised through the 2008 Columbus Food & Wine Affair. In its six-year history, the event has netted nearly $300,000 for local charities. This year alone, the WBNS-10TV Family Fund will receive more than $12,500 of the proceeds.

 

According to Gail Baker, Executive Director of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association, that’s welcome news in these troubling economic times. “Since the number of families needing meals has increased, the funds raised through the Columbus Food & Wine Affair are more important than ever to the WBNS 10-TV Family Fund and, indeed, to all those charities that benefit.”

 

Baker distributed donations to all participating charities including the 10TV Family Fund, the Ian Adams Van Heyde Memorial Scholarship Fund, Central Ohio Restaurant Association, Adventures for Wish Kids, The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, the Columbus College of Art & Design and United Way of Central Ohio.

 

The Columbus Food and Wine Affair Grand Tasting was held at the Franklin Park Conservatory with founding sponsors Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Heidelberg Distributing, Central Ohio Restaurant Association, WBNS-10TV, and Mix 97.1. Reserve Level sponsors were American Express, Giant Eagle, San Pellegrino, Southwest Airlines, SYSCO Central Ohio, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Madison & Fifth.  Baker adds, “We are very appreciative to all who contributed so much to our success. It is wonderful to see such generosity in Central Ohio.”

 

Planning for the 2009 event is underway. For details, visit www.foodandwineaffair.com.

 

 

It’s hard to say where Ian Adams Van Heyde would be today had his young life not been cut short in a traffic accident 10 years ago. Perhaps he would have been an executive chef at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants where he was working as a line cook. Or, maybe he would have taken his culinary talent outside Central Ohio. We will never know. But, we do know his love for culinary arts and the impact he has had on the lives of young people continues through the Ian Adams Van Heyde Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund is just one of the charitable organizations receiving proceeds from the e Columbus Food & Wine Affair, now in its sixth year.

 

At the time of his death, Ian was a senior at Whetstone High School and enrolled in the culinary arts program at Northeast Career Center. At his memorial service, Barbara Sills, a friend of the family, plus three other couples stood and announced they had started a scholarship fund through the Columbus Foundation in Ian’s memory. The fund was to provide scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary education in culinary arts or food management.

 

In 1999, a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to one of Ian’s classmates, Michael Valentine. Valentine went on to become a chef in the Denver area. Since then, the fund has grown tremendously and, since its inception, more than $40,000 in scholarships has been awarded to a total of 38 students.

Steve Van Heyde says providing the scholarships is bittersweet. “When our committee meets each May to review the applicants, it puts Nan and I in touch with kids who are the same age Ian was and who have the same dream he did. That’s the sweet part.” He adds, “Then, we watch that dream being pursued through their eyes instead of Ian’s. That’s difficult, but we are glad to do it, and we are proud to do it.” Steve says he and his wife are “so appreciative of the tremendous support given to us by the Central Ohio Restaurant Association (CORA) because we are able to give even more scholarships.”

 

When CORA took part in establishing the Columbus Food & Wine Affair in 2003, Ian’s fund was one of the local charities chosen to receive proceeds from the event. Since Ian’s fund operates under the umbrella of the Columbus Foundation, contributions are tax deductible and the administrative work and distribution of funds are carried out by the Columbus Foundation.

 

Gail Baker, CORA’s Executive Director, says, “The support of the Ian Adams Van Heyde Memorial Scholarship Fund is the perfect opportunity for us to encourage young people in the culinary arts because it also underscores our mission of promoting a strong and innovative restaurant industry.” She adds, “It has been a pleasure for us to work with Nan and Steve to support so many students and to honor the memory of their son in such a fitting way.”

 

Jared Faber was one of nearly 50 seniors at the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) last year who received a senior project assignment: create a poster for the Columbus Food & Wine Affair (CFWA). After listening to event co-founder Greg Maurer share the history, mission and photos of the gala, Jared and the many other seniors went to work.

 

According to Maurer, “When we started the Columbus Food and Wine Affair in 2003, we took notice of how other cities doing similar of events incorporated the art community. We wanted to do something better. We have seen art and wine as a natural connection from day one.”

 

 

In order to create a design, Faber took his own photographs of wine bottles. He looked at the lighting, and he kept going back to the shape of the bottles and the shape of a fork. “I thought the two meshed perfectly, and what came about was a very simple design where the bottle mimics the outline of the fork.” Although it sounds like it was a quick procedure, Faber said from concept to creation actually took several weeks. “I kept going back to revise it,” he said.

 

Maurer and his committee agreed that Faber’s work was poster-worthy. “We saw numerous presentations, and each student presented them to us as they would a client. They had to sell their project, explaining their thoughts, highlights, and themes.” While there was much talent on display, Maurer says, “We kept going back to Jared’s design. It really caught our attention.” He adds, “It’s clever and creative and you look at it twice. At first glance it’s a wine bottle, and then it’s a fork. It makes that connection between food and wine.”

 

Richard Aschenbrand, Dean of Visual Communications at CCAD, says this type of process is an ideal teaching tool for students. “In projects like this, we want the clients to be involved. It gives the students a different perspective and the experience of what it will be like to create for someone—getting to know their specific needs and developing their ideas as an artist/graphic designer.”

 

Aschenbrand adds, “When the students present their projects, the client’s review is a very true situation. That is exactly what they will encounter in a job setting, so a project like this is helpful.” Aschenbrand says that CCAD is continually approached to take part in projects like this, so “we must be very selective in what we take on. Working with the Columbus Food & Wine Affair on the logo design was the caliber of project that was right for us.”

 

Maurer is also enthusiastic about the CFWA-CCAD partnership. “Since the Columbus Food & Wine Affair began, we have wanted to bring in a significant Columbus partner,” he says. “CCAD is an icon in our city, and the relationship between what we do and what they offer is a natural fit. We are looking forward to a continued association with them and showcasing more talent like Jared’s.”