ABOUT THE CHARITIES
Helping Hands Surgical Care (HHSC) is a Las Vegas-based non-profit organization whose mission is to fund and facilitate surgeries for uninsured Nevadans without the means to pay for medicall
y necessary surgeries. Founded by Dr. Kevin Petersen, a board certified general surgeon with more than 26 years’ experience, and his wife, Kelly, who serves as HHSC’s unpaid executive director, the organization has performed more than two dozen charity surgeries since it launched in 2011. HHSC’s second annual Charity Surgery Day is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2012. An additional ten free surgeries will be performed that day for uninsured Nevadans struggling with chronic pain and life-threatening conditions. For more information, visit www.helpinghandssurgicalcare.com.
Three Square was established to end hunger in the valley by providing wholesome, nutritious food to non-profit organizations that serve a wide range of Southern Nevadans in need. A national model project inspired by Eric Hilton with a grant provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Three Square is a community collaborative partnership with the gaming industry, businesses, non-profit agencies, food distributors, higher education institutions, the CCSD, governmental entities, the media and thousands of volunteers to efficiently and effectively serve hope to those in our community struggling with hunger. Three Square currently provides more than 24 million pounds of food and grocery product – the equivalent of nearly 18 million meals – per year to more than 600 Program Partners including non-profit and faith-based organizations, schools and feeding sites throughout Southern Nevada. Three Square is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks. For additional information visit www.threesquare.org.
ABOUT THE CHEFS
Chef Mark LoRusso has established himself as a creative chef with impeccable instincts, recognized for his refined modern-American cuisine. Botero serves as a modern steakhouse menu in a setting designed by Roger Thomas. The restaurant displays works of art from Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. Most recently, LoRusso was the executive chef of Tableau at Wynn Las Vegas’ exclusive Forbes Five-Star, Tower Suites. Prior to Wynn, he was the executive chef of Michael Mina’s Aqua restaurant at the Bellagio resort for seven years. LoRusso began his career at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. There he gained experience through a six-month internship at the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1990, LoRusso moved to Los Angeles to work as a sauté cook at Checkers Hotel alongside nationally acclaimed chef Thomas Keller. In 1991, he moved to San Francisco and accepted a position as a line cook at the Cypress Club and was quickly promoted to sous chef. From there, he was hired as a sauté cook at Aqua. In just four months, he was again promoted to sous chef. LoRusso then moved to New York City to work for Charlie Palmer at Aureole before deciding to leave for Las Vegas in 1998 to run Aqua restaurant.
Chef Kim Canteenwalla has partnered with Elizabeth Blau and Sean Christie for Society Café Encore offering guests a classic American menu of old-school favorites with a modern twist. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late nights on weekends, Society Café Encore features enjoyable food in a casual, fun and dynamic atmosphere. This marks the second collaboration between Canteenwalla and Steve Wynn, having worked together at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi where Canteenwalla was executive chef of the property.
Canteenwalla began his culinary career in Montreal at the Institute of St. Denis. He then continued to work in his native Canada as sous chef for the luxury Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. Following this, he held executive chef positions that took him all over the world, including Raffles International Hotel Group; Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Grand Mirage Resort Bali, Indonesia. Upon his return to North America, Canteenwalla joined Mr. Wynn and his team at Beau Rivage before becoming the executive chef of MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
In addition to his position at Encore, Canteenwalla is president of Blau & Associates, which he co-founded with his wife, Elizabeth Blau. His wealth of experience, vast global travels and grass roots approach to restaurant development made him a natural fit for the restaurant consulting company. At Blau & Associates, Canteenwalla has spear-headed Five-Star hotel projects such as the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and One&Only Palmilla, as well as international properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Alberta and Vancouver, Canada. He is also responsible for helping launch Celebrity Cruises newest mega-luxury ship Solstice.