Sodexo Live!, the longstanding hospitality partner of the Seattle Mariners T-Mobile Park, teamed up with two top chefs from Sodexo-managed Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to enhance the culinary operations during MLB All-Star Week.
The collaboration kicked off with the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile and powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) on Friday 7th July.
The HBCU Swingman Classic, launched by MLB, the MLB Players Association, and the YDF jointly with Baseball Hall of Famer and YDF Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr., aims to showcase 50 baseball student-athletes from Division-I programs at HBCUs.
To support the event, executive chefs from Sodexo will work closely with Sodexo Live!'s SVP Regional Executive Chef, Jeff Leidy, to incorporate personalized touches and culinary inspiration from their respective local cuisines into the special luncheon event menus.
The two featured executive chefs are Kevin Fletcher from Howard University in Washington D.C. and Jossie Saintil from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL.
During All-Star Week, the chefs actively contributed alongside the Sodexo Live! team to cater to over 47,000 fans and athletes.
The visiting culinary experts were eager to represent their alma maters and infuse the flavors of their respective universities into the All-Star Week experience.
I'm honored to be part of the MLB All-Star Week festivities and delighted to represent Mary Jane McLeod Bethune's university, the founder of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
Misha Hurd, Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at MLB, expressed her excitement about the participation of executive chefs from Sodexo's HBCU chef program in the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic, stating: "MLB is thrilled to have them be a part of this special event."
Jeff Leidy, SVP Regional Executive Chef at Sodexo Live!, added, "I'm excited to collaborate with these talented culinary professionals who will bring an extra layer of excitement through meaningful, inspired dishes to this inaugural MLB All-Star event.
We are proud to showcase African American talent on a national stage and support the creation and investment in new opportunities to level the playing field for all professions within the game of baseball."
In line with its commitment to support HBCUs, Sodexo launched a US $10 million scholarship program, administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), to benefit frontline employees and their dependents.
The program aims to provide opportunities for students to attend HBCUs that have partnerships with Sodexo or UNCF.
To learn more about the scholarship program and hear from recipient Jourdan Burke about his studies at Xavier University.
