The Fort Scott Tribune

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A worldwide company, newly partnered with Fort Scott Mercy Health Center, is looking to add a little flare to this year's Gala.

Sodexo Inc., one of the largest food and nutrition service companies in the world joined the Mercy team on July 1, and officials with the organization say they have pulled out the stops in preparing for the 19th gala, "Evening Under the Tuscan Sun."

According to Sodexo District Manager of Healthcare Andrew Stonestreet, the company serves 10 million customers a day in 79 countries, and employs a staff of about 50,000.

"We are the largest company in the world that partners with our customers to provide not only food service, but housekeeping, linen, grounds keeping, maintenance, asset management, design and construction," said Stonestreet. "We run cafeterias, restaurants, we work in all different kinds of service lines, like major colleges and Universities; business entities like UPS, all the major manufacturing companies ... we're all over the place."

While a major portion of Sodexo's focus is in the healthcare field, according to Stonestreet, the assistance they provide U.S. armed forces is looked at as possibly their greatest service.

"As a service company we provide many levels of service, one of the services we're most proud of -- not only our healthcare partnerships -- we have a partnership with the U.S. government and the Army and Marines," he said. "We provide all of the food service operations to every Army personnel and Marine around the world at every base. One of our most prestigious events within our company is that we provide the food service that our military enjoys."

With a worldwide reach, Sodexo made the decision to bring in some of their top level chefs to participate in the gala including: Former Kansas City EBT Restaurant Executive Chef Tom Hoffman; Esa Muttilainen a native of Finland whose resume includes an executive chef position at Café Eau at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Nebraska Medical Center Executive Chef Jason Street and Executive Chef for St. Anthony's Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla. Irgen Hatilid.

Hoffman currently acts as Sodexo's culinary and retail support manager covering 98 accounts in nine states and boasts a career that consists of serving several U.S. Presidents, foreign dignitaries and even the Dali Lama.

Stonestreet said he wanted to take advantage of the resources available to him through Sodexo, so he contacted Hoffman both for the initial partnership of Sodexo and Mercy and for assistance in cooking for the gala.

"Because were such a large company I reached out to our area support Executive Chef Tom Hoffman ... and he helped do the start up," said Stonestreet. "He is probably top 5 chef in the company. It doesn't hurt to bring in the A-Team once in a while."

According to Stonestreet, the gala offers not only an opportunity to showcase a strong culinary staff, but to offer his local employees additional training and showcase their talents to local residents.

"So, we wanted to come in here and set the tone ... we really care about the event, it is important to John Woodrich (Mercy's president and CEO) ... and the whole community and we wanted to make sure that we did due diligence and that we set a nice tone for the importance of it with our new customer. We've got to support them," said Stonestreet. "They're (Sodexo chefs) going to be here not only to do all the prep work and the cooking and the assisting with the staff, but they're going to do training with the staff while they're here and kind of blend in and really be part of the family of Fort Scott for that week. This is our first chance you know, you want to shine."

So what about the menu? Stonestreet said they will be following the Italian theme of the gala while incorporating some local flavors.

"We've got a little flash we're going to do, a little front of the house stuff we're going to do in the dining room, to have a little fun with it, because it's a fun evening too," he said. "The menu is anchored by one specific item and that's the -- important to the city -- Old Fort Barbecue sauce. Just south of us here we've got some of the best bakeries around so we're having the breadsticks made down there at the Arma Bakery.

"It's going to really turn out nice. The colors are fabulous. It really is under that Tuscan night. It really has that rustic Italian feel. And of course we're planning on doing the right thing with all these foods. The right seasonings with garlic and fresh herbs."

The gala, scheduled for Aug. 23, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., in the vacant Wal-Mart building, 2400 S. Main, will act as a fundraiser for the construction of Mercy's newly announced Cancer Chemo-therapy Care Center.

Reservation prices for the event will remain the same as in 2007: $45 for individual reservations; Donor level, $160 per couple; Spirit Sponsors (table of 10), $800; and a Corporate Benefactor (two tables of 10) $1,600 and up.

Reservations are being accepted now, and seats are still available for the event. For more information call Carla Farmer, Mercy Development Office, (620) 223-7026.

Stonestreet is encouraging local residents to attend the event saying that even his staff are enthusiastic about this year's gala.

"The guys are excited about coming. We put the word out to our other district managers in the area all around this part of the Midwest and we got a lot of volunteers. So the couple of guys we selected are really pumped up about coming," he said. "It will be fun."