The 18th annual 50 Men Who Can Cook on Friday, February 6, was a huge success, raising $312,000 for College Station ISD teachers and students. This lively, adults-only culinary event benefits the College Station ISD Education Foundation, which supports more than 14,000 students and 2,000 staff members across nineteen CSISD campuses.
Fifty-nine amateur cooking teams—made up of educators and parents from every CSISD campus, alumni, local media personalities, public servants, business leaders, healthcare professionals, firefighters, Texas A&M representatives, and more—served up their best dishes as “celebrity chefs” for the evening.
Guests enjoyed an all-you-can-eat experience featuring appetizers, entrées, sides, soups, desserts, and drinks, along with live entertainment, music, raffle, game, an exciting silent auction, and mystery bag prizes.
“We are profoundly grateful for the thousands of people who support CSISD through this event—our cooks, sponsors, donors, vendors, volunteers, board members, and attendees,” said Teresa Benden, Executive Director of the CSISD Education Foundation. “This event is a monumental community effort, and we are incredibly thankful for the support of our local public schools.”
St. Joseph Health returned as the Top Chef Sponsor for the eighth consecutive year. “It’s so important to invest in our local schools,” said Kelly Wood, Marketing Director for St. Joseph Health and Education Foundation board member. “We’re proud to support the CSISD Education Foundation.”
Proceeds from sponsorships, ticket sales, silent auction, mystery bags, and raffle tickets fund impactful classroom projects, student scholarships, Chrissy’s Closet, Senior Hall of Fame recognition, staff awards, and innovative educational programs.
This year’s event chairman was CSISD Education Foundation board member Brian Yung. “50 Men Who Can Cook is a fun, community-wide event that helps raise critical funds for our students and teachers,” Yung said. “We are proud to host this event for the College Station community.”
