MACON, Ga. — Helms College and Goodwill of Middle Georgia are cooking up some delicious fun during their annual gala and fundraiser on Friday.
The theme: Back in the Groove. Helms College staff and students have created 4 unique menus all in honor of America's music cities.
It includes Spicy New Orleans Jazz, Homegrown Nashville Country, Soulful Memphis Blues, and of course Southern Macon Rock.
"Our students have been cooking since Tuesday, we started prepping for the event and we're just getting ready. It's going to be very good," Chef Kristina Dahl said.
The menu in honor of Macon has fried green tomatoes, a tomahawk ribeye with fried onions and sautéed mushrooms, oysters Rockefeller, and more.
And let's not forget about dessert!
The chefs will be cooking up beignets in honor of New Orleans, and Dahl said she's excited for people to try the Elvis themed flour-less chocolate cake with caramel peanut butter and banana compote.
The fundraiser helps pay for scholarships for Helms College students and Goodwill's other education initiatives.
"The event is about giving back. Helms College is all about giving to our students and helping them get to the next stage in their life," Dahl said.
She says proceeds from the fundraisers will help students get back into the community to fill employment gaps, especially in the hospitality industry.
The money also helps keep tuition lower as the college cultivates the next generation of chefs. Dahl says events like this help students gain experience outside the classroom.
"The great thing about these events is we get to show off our students and their talent. We get to show off our chefs and we just get to prepare food for people to love and enjoy," Dahl said.
The 2022 Goodwill Gala happens on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Anderson Conference Center.
You can get tickets to the gala on Goodwill's website.
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