The 8th annual Emeril Lagasse Golf Classic, held this fall in Newport, R.I., raised $456,000 for the celebrity chef’s scholarship fund at Johnson & Wales University. 


The event, which drew more than 120 golfers, benefits an endowment that each year provides four students at Johnson & Wales – Lagasse’s alma mater – $10,000 each to assist them in their pursuit of culinary arts degrees.


Nearly $3.5 million has been raised for the endowment to date. 


“Culinary arts is a mix of art, science and commerce that occasionally brings about greatness,” said Chris Keating, associate publisher of Nation’s Restaurant News, which joined Ventura Foods in honoring excellence in menu development during their annual MenuMasters celebration.


Nearly 400 people gathered for the event, which was held at the Drake Hotel in Chicago on May 22, during the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. Prior to the awards ceremony, attendees sampled the winning fare as they networked.