Click on the Media link on the left of this page to see both segments with Darren and the McKinney North Band on Good Morning Texas on Aug 27th.
A Culinary Tribute
Now that the event has taken place we thought we would post an update about how the event went.
It’s been 2 weeks since The Culinary Event for the scholarship fund and honestly, we are still reeling.
It was an amazing night! Amazing on so many different levels.
I don’t know how many know the story, but last year at a band meeting, a mom from the band board came
up to us and asked if it was ok if they gave a scholarship in Spencer’s name at the band banquet. We
were taken aback, but honored. We went home that night, knowing that the budget for a band is tight,
and for them to want to do this…we figured we needed to do all we could to help raise some money for
that scholarship. Gary knew Darren McGrady from Marketstreet and asked if he would be willing to donate
a dinner for the silent auction the band was about to have. Darren called back the next day and said,
“Let’s do something a little bit bigger”. I found out the other night at the event that Darren receives
several requests for fundraising events. He has to carefully go through them and can only do a portion
of what the requests are. When Darren had received Gary’s request, he clicked on Spencer’s webpage and
started reading and at the same time he caught a glimpse of his own daughter outside playing. She was
12 years old, the same age as Spencer when he was diagnosed, and he said he thought to himself, “we can
do better than this.” Hence, the beginning of a night that will never be forgotten.
I never truly could grasp how big an event this would be. I know I helped with some of the arrangements,
I know I sat in on meetings, I know I saw the donations coming in, but to fully grasp it…I just could never
wrap my thoughts around it. I’ve read of scholarship events that people do, I’ve heard and read about
benefit fundraising events, yet those have always been for other people, people who had more money, more
connections, more friends than we do, so to think we could ever have the capability of honoring Spencer
in this way…well, truly, it was never more than a passing thought. As I watched as people kept giving and
giving of their time, talents, money, I silently sat back and watched…occasionally voicing, “I can’t believe
this”. As more and more people got on board, we were just speechless. Over and over again, I saw the passion
and desire from so many to make this such a special event.
The weeks before the event, I watched as people poured their hearts into making this special. I watched as
they spent so much time preparing the menus, bulletins, getting donations for the silent auction, I watched
as they spent so many hours on the details that truly made the night special, and although we tried to work
as if it were just another project, we couldn’t help but think, Spencer is the driving force behind this.
Yes, the ones working on it are the ones accomplishing the work, but the main reason for all of this is our
son, Spencer. Wow, what a realization. To know that all of these people are giving so graciously of their
time and talents in honor of our son…incredible…words cannot capture those feelings.
The day of the event, I watched all the team from Marketstreet preparing, I watched the chefs preparing, and
in each of them I saw the passion it takes to make any event successful. I knew several weeks beforehand that
no matter if we made our monetary goal or not, the event was going to be a success. I wanted it to be, if for
nothing else, for all those that poured their hearts into it. As I watched the night unfold, I watched as the
kids and directors from the band arrived, I watched as many friends arrived, I watched as new found friends and
acquaintances arrived, I watched as people I had never met before arrive, and again, I was struck by the
graciousness of everyone I came in contact with that night. I was also struck by the fact that this was so
much how Spencer’s life was…so many people from so many different walks of life…it was very appropriate.
As far as monetary value of the night…we ended up raising close to $20,000.00. This is the amount we needed
to start an endowment for the scholarship. We still have a few donations coming in here and there, so we feel
confident we will hit the actual mark before long.
To everyone that made this night so successful…thank you. The boys have always teased me for coming up with my
own words, but I can’t for the life of me come up with anything better to say than this, so until the day I do,
please know that “thank you” comes from the very depths of our hearts.
I would like to say one final thing. Darren McGrady, The Royal Chef…words to describe him…there are none. When
we embarked on this, I wondered, what does he get out of this? As I spent time with him, I couldn’t help but
think time and time again how much I wish he had met Spencer. Oh, the smart remarks at someone elses expense
that would have happened! That sly sense of humor, but truly a good heart inside…so much alike they were. Chef
McGrady has a heart of gold. If there was ever someone that gives back, it is he. I’ve been amazed reading about
him and listening to him, he never wants any accolades, but he definitely deserves them. We are blessed to have
him and his family come into our lives.
It’s hard to sum up exactly how the night was, to say it was incredible, well it’s just an understatement. The
chefs, the host, the volunteers, the band, the food, the atmosphere…if you knew Spencer, you would understand when
he would nod his head, give a little grin and say, “Cool.” So simple, but it meant everything. The night was “cool”.
Darren McGrady, who was a senior chef to the Royal Family at
Buckingham Palace for 11 years and then personal chef to
Princess Diana for four years until her tragic accident, has helped us set up a fundraising event for the
Spencer Taylor Memorial Scholarship. Darren was also
recently awarded Lone Star Culinary Chef 2008 from Savor Dallas. Here are the details of the event.
Darren and 5 other celebrity chefs will prepare a 6 course gourmet meal for
50 people. We would have the event at the Culinary School at
Market Street. There will be an initial
reception for about an hour where the chefs would prepare and serve canapés and sample some fine wines. This would be
held in the upstairs dining room outside the culinary school, tickets for the reception only will be $30.00 and
all attendees would have
the opportunity to meet and visit with the chefs. We are honored to have the McKinney North Jazz Band providing
entertainment for the reception and in between courses for the meal.
After the reception, folks who purchased tickets for the reception as well as the 6 course gourmet meal tasting would
then move into the Culinary School. Tickets for the entire evening will be $150.00, only 48 will be sold, and
the 2 prime front row seats will be raffled off in the weeks leading up to the event. Gary Cogill, host of
Good Morning Texas,
has agreed to emcee the event. The night will unfold with each chef
spending about 20 minutes demonstrating the preparation of his course
and then serving a sample to each attendee. The courses will be
appetizer, salad, soup, fish, meat, and dessert. While each chef is
preparing their portion, the other 5 chefs will be either helping or,
more likely, heckling the chef that is working. Each attendee will
taste all of the courses along with a nice wine pairing for each and at
the end will receive a goodie bag with some gifts and a copy of each of
the recipes prepared that evening. There will also be some silent
auction items available for bidding during the reception.
Our goal is to raise $20,000 initially, as that will provide enough of an endowment to fund a scholarship in perpetuity.
The scholarship would always go to a McKinney North Band Student,
and as the endowment grows
as more funds are raised (we are hoping this will become an annual event), the amount of the scholarship will be
increased or the funded amount for that year will be broken up into multiple scholarships. That will be up to the
McKinney North Band Board. If you are unable to attend the Culinary Tribute, but would still like to help us grow
the endowment, please click on the "donate" button below to make a secure donation through Paypal.
We are currently selling Raffle Tickets for the two front row, center
seats to the event. The tickets are $1.00 each and we will draw for the
winner during the last week of August. If you would like to purchase
any raffle tickets, click on the Add to Cart button below and then
enter how many tickets you want in the quantity box in the new window,
then click proceed to checkout. After we receive confirmation of
payment, we will put your name and email address on the back of however
many raffle tickets you have purchased, put them in the collection bin,
and then we will mail you the stubs. You will be notified by email if
your ticket is chosen.
When: Sunday, September 7, 2008 Reception 5:00pm-6:30pm Dinner 7:00pm-9:30pm
Where: Market Street Culinary School 6100 Eldorado Pkwy McKinney, Texas
Cost: Reception Only $30.00 per person
Reception and Dinner $150.00 per person
To Purchase Tickets
Contact Ruth Thompson at Market Street Culinary School 972-548-5140
and as the endowment grows
as more funds are raised (we are hoping this will become an annual event), the amount of the scholarship will be
increased or the funded amount for that year will be broken up into multiple scholarships. That will be up to the
McKinney North Band Board. If you are unable to attend the Culinary Tribute, but would still like to help us grow
the endowment, please click on the "donate" button below to make a secure donation through Paypal.
We are currently selling Raffle Tickets for the two front row, center
seats to the event. The tickets are $1.00 each and we will draw for the
winner during the last week of August. If you would like to purchase
any raffle tickets, click on the Add to Cart button below and then
enter how many tickets you want in the quantity box in the new window,
then click proceed to checkout. After we receive confirmation of
payment, we will put your name and email address on the back of however
many raffle tickets you have purchased, put them in the collection bin,
and then we will mail you the stubs. You will be notified by email if
your ticket is chosen.