Leesburg, Florida – On Sunday, October 2, 2016, partners Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Style Magazine and co-founder of Ketel One Vodka, David Van de Velde, joined forces to organize a fundraising event at Fairfax Hall in Arlington Ridge that included a 7-course vodka infused dinner, concert, live cooking demonstrations and laughs.  Celebrity Chef Jon Ashton took the stage as the evening’s Emcee, as local chef’s Vic Donahue II, Jessy Flinn, Cody Workman and Jon Bell demonstrated how to prepare the dish while 35 students from the Leesburg High School Culinary department served that dish to the audience.  Entertainers; 3 Tenors and a Soprano serenaded the audience with familiar ballads from the Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miserable.

During the evening, winners of the Cooking with Vodka Recipe Contest were announced, First Place Winner, Carole Iberer for her recipe, “Three Berry Pie with Blueberry Vodka”,  Second Place Winner, Don Moreau for his recipe, “Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo” and Third Place Winner, Gary Neumann for his recipe, “Screwdriver Tenderloin” and each were presented with an award.  Recipes from the evenings dinner are available on the https://leesburg.cookingwithvodka.com/.

The event raised $14,000.00 towards Leesburg Community Schools for special projects and an additional $1,800.00 was raised at the event and gifted to the Leesburg High School Culinary Department.

Thank you to Plaza Cadillac, Lake Eye, Fross & Fross Wealth Management, Bennett Law Center and LRMC Foundation for sponsoring this event!

The Leesburg Area Chamber Foundation is a 501 (c ) 3 that fundraises to raise money for Leesburg Area Community Schools in partnership with the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee.

Promoting Progress and Profit in the Leesburg Area! For more information, please contact maria@leesburgchamber.com. Visit leesburgchamber.com.