NECAT’s 5th Anniversary – Five Years Strong

On October 25, 2018

NECAT held a very special evening to celebrate our fifth anniversary and to show appreciation to the supporters and advocates who have helped us achieve this incredible milestone.

Awards were given to the following honorees who have been true champions for NECAT:

• “Big Time” Anthony Robinson Seymour – Community Leader Award
• Boston Children’s Hospital – Social Responsibility Award
• MassDevelopment – Catalyst Award
• Representative Byron Rushing – Advocate Award
• State Street Foundation – Mission Impact Award
• The Boston Foundation – Mission Impact Award
• The Marten Family – Inspiring Hope Award

This was also an opportunity to express gratitude to NECAT Founder and Chairman Maarten Hemsley with the “Visionary Award.” It was Maarten’s hard work that launched NECAT into existence five years ago after being inspired – and challenged – by Bill Strickland to open a training center in Boston. As Bill said, Maarten’s “life and unshakable belief in NECAT has been a learning model for us all.”

The evening would not have been such a success without the hard work of current NECAT students and graduates. Over two days of preparation, they served up an incredible tasting menu that included dishes from around the world. For many students, it was their first exposure to flavors and preparation methods for dishes such as baba ganoush, tuna tartare or manchego stuffed dates. They did it with aplomb, and the evening was a heart-warming success.

To see more photos from the event, click here: https://ne-cat.smugmug.com/EveningofAppreciation/