Local Chef Cooks Up Extensive Volunteer Efforts Stein Eriksen Lodge’s Chef Zane Holmquist Gives Back Through Community Outreach

Park City, UT (July 8, 2010)—Stein Eriksen Lodge’s decorated executive chef, Zane Holmquist, is scheduled to participate in an impressive lineup of charitable and community outreach programs over the next several months. The events range from fun and educational to considerable fundraising efforts for important causes.

The first upcoming event Chef Holmquist spearheads is the Park City Food & Wine Classic’s Mud, Sweat and Cheers on July 9. The biking excursion, led by fellow biking enthusiast, Holmquist, takes guests on a scenic ride through some of Deer Valley Resort’s most panoramic mountain biking tracks in the morning and winds up with a sumptuous lunch prepared by the Chef.  Lift rides, guides, food and wine are all a part of this signature event of the Classic.

Following the fun-filled and educational Food & Wine Classic, Holmquist heads to Ohio to participate in a celebration of an influential program the Chef helped launch with renowned food vendor Chef’s Garden. July 17 marks the 8th Annual Chef’s Garden Food & Wine Celebration to benefit the Veggie U Children’s Program.

Veggie U, a not-for-profit organization at the Culinary Vegetable Institute, is committed to fostering a synergy between educational, nutritional and agricultural goals to combat the rising epidemic of childhood obesity. Veggie U joined forces with tops chefs, such as Holmquist, some of the area’s finest educators, a nutritionist and a local physician to see how the program could impact the childhood obesity challenge.

A group of area Master Teachers spent more than 18 months volunteering their free time to formulate a curriculum teaching an Earth to Table™ concept aimed at fourth graders. A kit complete with seeds, soil, flats, root view boxes, grow lights and a worm farm gives teachers needed materials for this hands-on study. These materials allow the student to see, hear, taste, feel and experience the process of planting, growing and harvesting a crop in their classroom. And the best outcome is the opportunity to eat their results!
 “My passion for community involvement is as strong as my passion for creating mouthwatering masterpieces,” said Holmquist. “I take all the programs I participate in very seriously and am involved in programs I feel truly make a difference.”

On August 1, Holmquist, along with more than 40 of Utah’s hottest chefs and best restaurants will gather beside the creek at Solitude Mountain Resort for an afternoon of spectacular food and drink for the annual Taste of the Nation®. Highlights of the event include live music, wine tasting and a silent auction, with 100 percent of ticket sales supporting Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid grows up hungry. Each spring and summer, the nation’s most renowned chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger.

Holmquist tops off his yearly volunteering and community outreach efforts with the March of Dimes “Signature Chefs of Utah” Auction on November 13 in Salt Lake City. For the Auction, a selection of top chef’s from Utah’s finest restaurants present their signature dishes in a tasting format. The unique and fun dining experience, which is held in cities across the nation, has raised more than $130 million for the March of Dimes since the first Signature Chef’s Auction was held in 1989.

For additional information about Chef Holmquist’s volunteer efforts or to arrange and interview with Chef Zane, contact Sarah Myers at 435.645.6451 or smyers@steinlodge.com. Information about Stein Eriksen Lodge is also available at www.steinlodge.com.
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About Stein Eriksen Lodge
The Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond Stein Eriksen Lodge is one of America's premier resorts and a member of the exclusive international association of independent luxury hotels and resorts, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. One of the most accessible mountain destinations in North America, the Lodge provides guests with the ultimate year-round luxury destination, offering world-class hospitality, accommodations, fine-dining, meeting facilities, spa services and recreation. For more information, visit the Lodge’s web site at www.steinlodge.com or call 800.453.1302.

Sarah Myers
Stein Eriksen Lodge
435.645.6451
smyers@steinlodge.com