The three-member Coral Gables Senior High School Culinary Arts Team, which recently won the regional and state championships in Orlando, will have the honor of representing South Florida in the national FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America) competition, July 3-8, in Chicago, IL.
The total cost for this trip will be $6,000 including airfare, hotel, registration and the transportation of all their cooking materials. Some $2,500 has been raised so far, including a donation from the Biltmore Hotel.
For the past eight years the Gables High Culinary Team has taken first or second place in the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Holiday Cookoff at the Biltmore Hotel. The team also partners with the Biltmore in their interactive internship program and has catered special events and private parties for the school.
There are eight classes and more than 485 students at Gables High who are enrolled in the culinary arts classes. Chef Mercy Vera is the lead Culinary Arts instructor. She is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University and has taught at Coral Gables High School for the past 10 years. If you want to make a donation or sponsor the Culinary Arts team’s trip to Chicago, contact Chef Mercy Vera at 305- 443-4871 or send email to her at < mercyvera@dadeschools.net >.
