Caribbean Hotel Association Education Foundation Assists with Culinary Internship

ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands, U.S. - Feb. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- The St. Croix Foundation, a non-profit community organization dedicated to advancing the social, economic and business well-being of the US Virgin Islands, is pleased to announce that they will receive a $2,000 donation from the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF). Two St. Croix youths will be awarded a grant of $1,000 in assistance so that they may participate in a special internship at the corporate campus of Facebook, an online social networking service with more than 1.15 billion monthly users.

The special internship opportunity is a result of the youth volunteering their time to learn from and work alongside guest chefs during the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, an annual series of events that raises funds for the St. Croix Foundation.

Both Chefs and students will return for the 2014 St. Croix Food & Wine Experience and their cooking skills can be tasted at the Sunset BBQ, April 11, 2014. For tickets to the Sunset BBQ, visit http://www.stxfoodandwine.com/buy-tickets/.

“Receiving this generous support from the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation is helping ensure an incredible educational opportunity for these two young people,” stated Roger Dewey, the Director of the St. Croix Foundation, “The work experience, education, contacts and life experience that Ms. Boyd and Mr. Tutein will gain at this internship will be invaluable. It is perfect that CHTAEF is part of making that happen.”

Each year, the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience invites celebrated chefs to participate in the fundraising events. The Facebook culinary team joined the 2013 event and spent almost a week working with culinary students of the St. Croix Career & Technical Center (CTEC). Denika Boyd and Aaron Tutein worked tirelessly alongside the chefs, eager to learn. Their efforts paid off and they were invited to the corporate campus of Facebook for an internship. The internship starts in February 2014.

“This is a magnificent opportunity for two people from the Caribbean region, who have shown their support for the community, to further their education,” stated Richard S. Kahn, Chairman of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation, “We are pleased to be able to support the St. Croix Foundation and these youth in furthering their education,”

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF), an independent non-profit, offers scholarships and special assistance for the education of Caribbean tourism industry personnel and students pursuing tourism and hospitality careers. Funds for these scholarships and grants are generated from corporate sponsorships, special events and benefit auctions. Hotels can donate stays to be included in future auctions to help support the efforts of the CHTAEF. For more information visit http://www.caribbeanhotelassociation.com/CHTAEFabout.php.

Both Chefs and students will return for the 2014 St. Croix Food & Wine Experience and their cooking skills can be tasted at the Sunset BBQ, April 11, 2014. For tickets to the Sunset BBQ, visit http://www.stxfoodandwine.com/buy-tickets/. Follow the fun and receive updates at facebook.com/STCROIXFoodandWineExperience and on Twitter @STXFoodandWine.

About the St. Croix Foundation

St. Croix Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 1990. Nationally recognized by the US Small Business Administration, the Council on Foundations, the National School Boards Association, and the International Downtown Association for their comprehensive community development and education work, St. Croix Foundation has raised over $1.5 million for community programs through the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience that are directed to education reform, public safety, and community and economic development projects.

About the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience

The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, named one of the Ten Best International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbes Travel, showcases the diverse cuisine and wine available on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The multi-day event includes gourmet dinners, wine seminars, wine auctions, and the annual culinary competition, A Taste of St. Croix. The event benefits the St. Croix Foundation (www.stxfoundation.org), a non-profit community foundation that serves the entire US Virgin Islands in the areas of education, historic preservation, and community and economic development. The event was started in 2001 by restaurant owners Katherine Pugliese of Eat@CaneBay and Kelly Odom of Tutto Bene and is recognized as the pre-eminent food and wine event in the Caribbean. For more information visit www.stcroixfoodandwine.com or www.tasteofstcroix.com.