The Ottawa Mission celebrates recent Food Services Training Program graduates at Blue Door Gala

The Ottawa Mission celebrated their Food Service Program and its latest graduates at the 21st annual Blue Door Gala.

The Ottawa Mission is hosting their annual Blue Door Gala on Thursday evening to raise funds and celebrate the most recent group of graduates of the Food Services Training Program.

“This is huge, this is our celebration of the Food Services Training Program,” CEO of the Ottawa Mission Peter Tilley said.

“I’m going to be referring to some students I’ve been running into over the last while former graduates of the program and just how invigorating that is to see that we actually made a difference in those people’s lives, each and every one of them.”

This is the 21st anniversary of the gala, and Tilley says the event first started in the Ottawa Mission’s dining hall, moved to the church basement and is now so large that this year’s event is being hosted in the Infinity Convention Centre, which has a 1,200 person capacity.

“It was a big risk, but the public responded right away,” Tilley said.

According to Tilley, he estimates this year’s gala will raise as much as $280,000, going towards the Food Services Training Program and the Ottawa Mission’s new Maintenance Services Training Program for superintendents.

The evening will feature a live auction and a four-course dinner prepared by the Ottawa Mission’s executive chef Ric Watson, A.K.A. Chef Ric, Food Services Training Program students and several guest chefs.

Attendees will also be present to celebrate this year’s class of graduates as they receive their diplomas during the graduation ceremony.

The program boasts a 90 per cent employment rate upon graduation and executive chef Watson says over 400 students have graduated from the program in its 21 years of operation.

“It absolutely changes their life. It gives them everything they need to be successful. They come into the program with no job, no hope, and they just really need the support, and we give it to them,” Watson said.

“We care, and we really want the students to be successful.”

Watson says the program wouldn’t be able to operate without the help of the donors and those attending the gala.

“The community is unbelievable, its amazing. Our donors are amazing, we wouldn’t have this program without our donors.”

According to Lawrence Greenspon, co-chair of the event, the gala is a product of hundreds of hours work from volunteers and staff.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into it,” Greenspon said.

While the gala is a testament to the hard work of those involved with the Ottawa Mission, Greenspon also says it’s an example of the generosity of Ottawans.

“This is what Ottawa’s all about,” Greenspon said.

“People talk about good causes, this is one of so many good causes, and the people of Ottawa get out to support them. Its wonderful.”

With files from CTV’s Shaun Vardon.

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