PolyCentric University News Center

Due to heavy rains in the region, the 11th annual HARVEST AUCTION benefit, Harvest at Kellogg Ranch, will be moved to Kellogg Gymnasium.  The event had been scheduled for the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center, but wet conditions required a change in venue. The date and time, Sunday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m., remain the same.

The event will feature special presentations showcasing The Collins School, followed by a Santa Maria-inspired dinner prepared and served by Collins School students, alumni and faculty.

More than 500 people will gather to support education at The Collins School of Hospitality Management while celebrating the best of the wine and food industry.

“This is an enormously exciting time for the school,” says Bob Small, interim dean of The Collins School. “We're bridging 30 years of history at this school. Our students, alumni and faculty are working hand in hand as we celebrate our founders, our supporters and our history.”

New to Harvest Auction is a Back to School session where attendees will get a flavor of The Collins Schools top-ranked program and visit the school's new building additions. A beer and wine tasting presented by professors Michael Godfrey and Margie Ferree Jones will explore the impact of shifting customer expectations on the wine and beer industry. Professor of culinary arts Sandy Kapoor and her students will prepare and showcase recipes made famous by Patrick Terrails legendary restaurant Ma Maison. Professor of management Ed Merritt, a former hospitality executive, will provide an overview of contemporary leadership strategies.

Two awards will honor individuals who have greatly contributed to the wine and food industry. There will also be silent and live auctions benefiting The Collins School featuring extensive international and domestic travel packages, cruises, restaurant packages, wine tours and more. Highlighted auction items include tickets to Disneyland's 50th anniversary private party; a Costentino Winery 20-case barrel lot with a blending session at the winery; and a travel package to London, Athens, Crete and Malta.

The awards and live auction are part of the evening program beginning at 5:30 p.m. The dinner will be an event in itself. Collins School faculty, students and alumni will come together to present a Santa Maria-inspired culinary experience, under the direction of Associate Dean Jerald Chesser. More than 100 alumni have volunteered to guide current students in preparing and serving an extensive menu of grilled Central California cuisine for this celebration.

The Robert Mondavi Wine & Food Award honors individuals whose vision and leadership have advanced the American wine and food industry. Prior honorees include Bruce J. Schwartz, Jim and Carol Collins, Julia Child and Alice Waters. This years recipients are former Cal Poly Pomona presidents Hugh O. La Bounty and Bob H. Suzuki and current President Michael Ortiz, who have all shaped The Collins School, a training ground for the industry's future leaders. La Bounty is credited with the vision to authorize establishing the hospitality management program and separating it from the College of Business. Under Suzuki's leadership, the school expanded, added new buildings and climbed national rankings, reaching third in the country. Ortiz will be honored for his steadfast support of the school, encouraging its continued growth and success.

In addition, the first Collins School Industry Legend award will be presented to Patrick Terrail, who was instrumental in establishing The Collins School. Terrail was an innovative restaurateur whose restaurant, Ma Maison, was a Hollywood icon and where Chef Wolfgang Puck's cooking became known.

Tickets to Harvest Auction are available. For more information, visit e-advancement.cpp.edu/harvest/reserve.html or call (909) 869-4194. Media are invited to attend, however, space is limited.