Chef Emeril Lagasse visited the Port City last week in support of the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW), the state's first single-gender charter school, which is scheduled to open in August.
 
Lagasse, who heads his own foundation for the advancement of youth, The Emeril Lagasse Foundation, was invited to participate at the request of Judy Girard, chairwoman of the board of directors for GLOW. Girard, former president of the Food Network, worked closely with Lagasse for many years, and the two have maintained a close relationship.
 
While in Wilmington, Lagasse prepared a private dinner for 11 couples on Thursday night, a breakfast for 225 at Live Oak Bank on Friday morning and a $200-per-person luncheon at the Country Club of Landfall for 280 guests Friday afternoon. The events, along with a silent auction and cookbook sales, earned a total of $264,000 for the academy.
 
Margee Herring, spokesperson for the academy, said that Lagasse covered the cost of his staff, travel expenses and food for both the dinner and the luncheon.
 
The luncheon included a salad of local watercress and arugula with red and black radishes, a slow roasted wild salmon served with pureed cauliflower and roasted brussel sprouts and a peanut butter and chocolate dessert. All of the dishes are featured in Lagasse’s new cookbook, Essential Emeril.
 
The fundraiser coincided with two other significant achievements for GLOW Academy, including the establishment of a physical location at 606 South College Road. The 12,500-square-foot building will house the school through its first four years. The school also announced Friday that 83 students enrolled during January’s open enrollment. Herring said GLOW will continue to accept applications up to a total of 100 students for the 2016-2017 school year.  
 
WILMA magazine will host a luncheon with Judy Girard on March 8 as part of the Women to Watch Leadership Initiative. Girard will speak about her career, lessons learned along the way and plans for GLOW. Click here for details.
 
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