With Flavour, Flair & Fashion – Heart Foundation launches Simply Red 2014
The Heart Foundation of Jamaica celebrates its 25th staging on Friday, September 26 under the theme Celebrating Flavour, Flair and Fashion.
Fashion designer and executive producer of Mission Catwalk Keneea Linton-George has been appointed the event’s Fashion Ambassador while Miss Jamaica Franchise holder Laura Butler has endorsed the event.
Flavour
Over 60 booths will bring a host of culinary offerings and product samplings to attendees at this year’s event. Participating chefs and culinary personalities include Lorraine Fung, Theo Smith, Jacqui Tyson, Jessie Gayle, George Matthews, John Comrie, Lorraine Clunie, Saleem Lazarus and Gariel Ferguson. Three guest chefs from the USA will also be at the event.
Guest Chefs
Three guest chefs from North America will be on hand to support the Heart Foundation’s fund-raising efforts this year:
First there’s Andy Husbands, Massachusetts Restaurants Association 2014 chef of the year, who recently published his third cookbook, Wicked Good Burgers, with co-authors Chris Hart of the IQUE BBQ team and Andrea Pyenson of the Boston Globe. The other two chefs are Steve “Nookie” Postal, executive chef for the Boston Red Sox, and Ed Doyle, founder and president of Real Food Consulting, a one-stop-shopping enterprise that specialises in helping restaurateurs and chefs improve and start their businesses.
There’ll also be guest mixologists as well as a cook-off between local and celebrity chefs.
A Worthy Cause
The Heart Foundation is hoping to raise $10 million for its Cardiac Rehabilitation & Research Centre and also to expand the Emergency Cardiac Care programme. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in Jamaica. A recent Jamaica Healthy Lifestyle Survey shows that 7.9 per cent of the population has diabetes; 25.2 per cent hypertension; 35.3 per cent pre-hypertension; 11.7 per cent high cholesterol; while 51.8 per cent are overweight and obese. Many studies have reported the benefits of limited (1 or 2 glasses daily) wine intake for heart health. However, teetotallers should not start drinking alcohol in an attempt to avoid heart disease.
I am an active member of the Heart Foundation and plan to be present to support their efforts.
Christopher Reckord — Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter:@Reckord
