Spark Sugar Rush Dessert Tasting to Feature Top Bay Area Chefs and Wineries!

Oct. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- SUGAR RUSH – On Thursday, November 10th, Spark will host its 5th annual Sugar Rush dessert tasting benefit at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square San Francisco. Sugar Rush is a dedicated effort to raise funds for Spark’s youth apprenticeship program for at-risk middle school students. This year’s event features top Bay Area restaurants and chefs (Chez Panisse, Boulevard, Range, Delfina, Millennium, Scala’s Bistro, Humphry Slocombe, Farralon, Recchiuti Confections, and Mama’s Bakery) as well as a variety of wines from local vineyards (Barber Cellars, B.R. Cohn Winery, and Starlite Vineyards). In addition to the opportunity to sample incredible desserts and wines, guests can bid on an exciting auction items, including getaway packages, high-end art and jewelry, wine tours, and tickets to sports and entertainment events. Sugar Rush is sponsored by SafeCo Insurance, Kimpton Hotels, and Charles Schwab, with an event photobooth donated by the Magnolia Photobooth Co. Tickets are on sale now at www.sugarrush2011.org!

ABOUT SPARK— Spark is a national nonprofit that provides life-changing apprenticeships to middle school students from disadvantaged communities. 30% of students in the United States drop out of high school, with the dropout rate exceeding 50% in the highest need neighborhoods.
Spark addresses the dropout crisis by connecting volunteer professionals with underserved youth in workplace apprenticeships to “spark” their potential. Students identify a “dream job,” and Spark matches that student with a mentor doing that job. These apprenticeships are complemented by a Leadership Class, which helps students connect apprenticeship learning to school. As students explore the school-to-career connection, they build skills critical for academic success, gain a strong appreciation for the relevance of their education, and become motivated to work hard to achieve their dreams. Spark currently operates programs through the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles and Chicago, with plans to expand to the East Coast by Fall 2012.

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Spark is a dropout prevention program that provides life-changing apprenticeships to youth in underserved communities across the United States. Spark operates summer and after-school programs that match students with apprenticeships in professions.